Frequently Asked Questions

• Install outdoor bulbs with a maximum of 3,000 degrees Kelvin and 2,000 lumens per fixture, and select outdoor lighting fixtures that are fully shielded and direct light downward. View International Dark-Sky Association examples of fully shielded fixtures here.
  
  
• Use dimmers, timers, or motion sensors for outdoor lighting.
• Use outdoor lights only when and where they are needed.
  Why focus on light at night? Learn more here.

• Not “less lighting”—better lighting!
  
  
• You may need to replace or update certain lighting fixtures and/or lightbulbs. Since 2021, both Park City and Summit County development codes have required all new construction to have lighting be fully shielded and down-directed, but now this is applying to ALL homeowners and business owners in Park City and unincorporated Summit County.
  
  
• Find DarkSky Approved Lighting fixtures, luminates, path lighting, etc. here and visit DesignLights Consortium (DLC) LUNA resources page here. For further info, see the question below: “What are some examples of Dark Sky compliant lighting?”
  
  
• What about my soffit lighting?
  *The following applies to unincorporated Summit County Residents ONLY:
  For detached single-family dwellings the soffit fixture cannot be mounted above 12 feet, as measured from the fixture to finished grade.
  
  
• For commercial, industrial, and multi-family dwellings, the soffit fixture cannot be mounted above twenty feet, as measured from the fixture to finished grade.
  
  
• Looking for a simple fix? If you have noncompliant soffit lighting, simply remove the bulb and cease using these light sources.

1.  Be a good neighbor! Use lighting that is fully shielded, down-directed and only where needed.

2.  - Angle lighting so that it doesn’t spill into neighboring yards.
- Set timers for outdoor lights and only use outdoor light when needed.
- For landscape lighting, choose fixtures that are low voltage LED or solar powered, downward directed and mounted no more than 18 inches above the ground level.

3. This graphic shows what “Light Bulbs that are 3,000 Degrees Kelvin or Less” means. To learn more about color temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin (K), visit this webpage.  

• In Unincorporated Summit County: Seasonal lights are allowed November 15 to March 1, so long as the lighting does not create dangerous glare on nearby areas. Best practice is to turn off your lights by 11:00 pm and close your blinds by 10:00 pm so migratory birds are not impacted by the festive cheer.
  
  

• Within Park City Limits (84060 zip code): Seasonal lights that do not cause light to spill out unnecessarily or interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property are permitted from November 1 through March 1. Residential seasonal lights must be turned off by 11:00 PM. Lights outlining buildings on Main Street and in the General Commercial Zoning District may have seasonal lights outlining buildings year round, but lights must be turned off by 2:30 AM.
  
  

• Feeling festive year round? Consider dark sky compliant string lights like these!
  
  

• When your existing lightbulb burns out, purchase energy efficient bulbs not exceeding 3,000 degrees Kelvin and no more than 2,000 lumens of output.
  
  
• To research dark sky compliant lighting fixtures, visit: https://darksky.org/what-we-do/darksky-approved/
  

Your safety is important and our goal is to maximize safety for all living things. Streetlights will still meet the illumination requirements set by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). Public areas will be lit with lighting that is fully shielded, down-directed, and designed in a way that minimizes glare and spill into neighboring properties. For more info, see “What are some examples of dark sky lighting?”

Summit County residents, contact: darkskies@summitcounty.org

Park City residents, contact: Park City Planner, Rebecca Ward at rebecca.ward@parkcity.org