New York State’s Proposed Dark Sky Bill

LightNOW has already written about Maine’s new strict dark sky law, and Hawaii’s proposed dark sky bill. Here is a look at New York State’s proposed dark sky law.

New York State’s proposed Dark Skies Protection Act (Assembly Bill A4615 / Senate Bill S5007) is part of a broader effort to reduce light pollution, save energy, protect wildlife, and improve nighttime visibility of the stars. It focuses on statewide outdoor lighting rules rather than a full shutdown of city lights, and the bill is still under legislative review. If passed, the regulations would go into effect on January 1, 2028.

The core idea is to require many outdoor lights to be shielded so they direct light downward instead of spilling upward into the sky (full cut off). Under the proposal, nonconforming outdoor lighting would generally need to be off between 11 p.m. and sunrise, unless it is motion-activated and shuts off within 15 minutes.

The bill is broad in scope, covering residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal settings. It would affect fixtures such as floodlights, building uplighting, landscape lighting, billboards, and other outdoor illumination that contributes to skyglow.

Supporters argue that excess artificial light wastes energy, raises carbon emissions, disrupts wildlife, and interferes with human circadian rhythms. The legislation also frames dark-sky protection as a quality-of-life issue, letting residents see the night sky more clearly while keeping enough ambient light for safety.

The bill will not plunge New York into darkness. It includes exemptions for highways, airports, emergency services, construction, worker safety, active athletic fields and concerts, and specific cultural and historic landmarks. It also allows some decorative or low-wattage lighting to remain on. The measure is still in committee and has not become law. Even if both legislative chambers approve it, it will still need the governor’s signature, and there is no guaranteed timeline for a vote.

In practice, the bill would likely push property owners, municipalities, and businesses to replace poorly shielded fixtures and reconsider nighttime lighting strategies. The biggest change would be cultural as much as technical: outdoor lighting would be judged not only by brightness, but by direction, timing, and necessity. The bill is a targeted anti-light-pollution measure, not a blanket ban on outdoor lighting, with the strongest effects aimed at reducing glare, skyglow, and wasted nighttime illumination.

The bill’s full legislative text can be found here.

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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