A Closer Look At Maine’s Light Pollution Law Requirements

Maine’s LD 1934, titled “An Act to Promote Responsible Outdoor Lighting,” enacted in January 2026, establishes strict, comprehensive regulations to reduce light pollution from new or replaced public outdoor lighting, both residential and commercial. The law mandates specific lighting standards, including a 0.1 lux limit on light trespass into wilderness areas and a required shutdown of nonessential public lighting during designated nighttime hours.

Key Aspects of the Law (LD 1934, 132nd Legislature):

• Effective Date: The law takes effect on September 30, 2026.
• Scope: Applies to new or replacement outdoor lighting installed with public funds or on public property.
• Purpose: To preserve dark skies, protect wildlife, and enhance human health by reducing artificial light at night.
• Exemptions: Includes exemptions for safety, transportation, and sports-related lighting.
• Significance: It is considered one of the strictest state-level light pollution laws in the United States.

Key requirements (legislative text):

“A. Public outdoor lighting, with the exception of outdoor sports lighting, may not exceed 125% of the light level recommended by the applicable ANSI/IES lighting standard or a more stringent standard specified by rule adopted pursuant to subsection 4 or an ordinance authorized by subsection 5;

B. Light trespass to a federally designated or state-designated wilderness, natural area, habitat or reserve may not measure greater than 0.1 lux;

C. Luminaires emitting more than 1,000 lumens must be fully shielded luminaires and may not emit more than 5% of their total lumen output above 80 degrees from the luminaries’ nadir;

D. Nonessential lighting must be extinguished during nighttime hours;

E. The maximum allowable correlated color temperature of outdoor luminaires is 3,000 kelvins, except for outdoor sports lighting; and

F. Outdoor sports lighting must meet the following standards in addition to the standards in paragraphs B to D:
(1) Eighty-five percent of the lumens generated must be confined to within 10 meters of the playing field or the spectator track or bleacher area, whichever is greater;
(2) Lighting applications for sports in which the height of a ball in play would, in the normal course of playing the sport, exceed the height of the sports lighting poles must have a maximum of 8% of their total lumen output above 80 degrees from the lighting’s nadir;
(3) Luminaires must use the lowest possible correlated color temperature necessary for the sport, class of play and viewing audience, except that the correlated color temperature may not exceed 5,700 kelvins; and
(4) Outdoor sports lighting must comply with paragraphs A and E except during the seasons and times of day when the activities for which the lighting is designed are taking place or maintenance to support those activities is being conducted.”

Complete legislative language can be found here.

Image Above: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269408470_Alternative_Futures_Modeling_in_Maine’s_Penobscot_River_Watershed_Forging_a_Regional_Identity_for_River_Restoration 

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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