MA Towns with Outdoor-Lighting Ordinances

Here’s a list of cities and towns in Massachusetts that have adopted some form of outdoor-lighting regulation — 57 municipalities in all as of early 2023. If you don’t see your town’s lighting regulation listed, please contact Kelly Beatty (kbeatty at darksky dot org) to let him know about it!

Abington (http://ecode360.com/8900769)

Acton (http://www.acton-ma.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=437and also https://www.acton-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6421/Zoning-Review–Lighting)

Andover (http://ecode360.com/15616722#15616722)

Amherst (https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/265/June-2013-Zoning-Bylaw-Article-11; see Section 11.2417)

Andover (http://ecode360.com/15616722#15616722)

Arlington (http://www.arlingtonma.gov/town-governance/laws-and-regulations/town-bylaws/title-v-regulations-upon-the-use-of-private-property#A14; see Article 14)

Auburn (https://www.auburnguide.com/DocumentCenter/View/487/Zoning-By-Laws-PDF; see Section 3.10.10.1)

Barnstable (http://ecode360.com/6558432#6558432; see Section B.8.d)

Belchertown (http://ecode360.com/9051642#9051642)

Blackstone (http://ecode360.com/8904794#8904794)

Boxborough (https://www.boxborough-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1918/Boxborough-Zoning-Bylaw-2021; see Sections 6204-6207)

Cambridge (http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/zoninganddevelopment/Zoning/Ordinance.aspx; see Sections 6.46 and 7.20;
Lighting Ordinance Task Force: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/EconDev/lightingordinancetaskforce.aspx)

Chelmsford (http://ecode360.com/8274645#8274645)

Chilmark (https://www.chilmarkma.gov/town-clerk/files/chilmark-zoning-bylaws-article-5; see Sections 5.5–5.8)

Concord (https://www.concordma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1386/Section-7-PDF; see Section 7.7.3.11)

Dalton (http://ecode360.com/9537947#9537947)

Dighton (https://www.dighton-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/408/Zoning-Bylaws-2022-PDF; see Section 3360)

Gardner (http://www.gardner-ma.gov/Pages/GardnerMA_BComm/Zoning/zoningord04032012.pdf; see Section 574.4)

Georgetown (http://ecode360.com/6485735#6485735)

Gloucester (https://library.municode.com/ma/gloucester/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH5BUBURE_ARTIINGE_S5-4OUILSTINSTILSI; see section 5.4)

Groton (https://ecode360.com/9082148, Part B; signs: https://ecode360.com/9078142)

Hadley (http://ecode360.com/13511100#13511100; see Section 8.8.9)

Hampden (http://www.hampden.org/Forms/ZONING-04-04-26.pdf; see Section 7.72.9)

Harvard (http://ecode360.com/13696428#13696428)

Harwich (http://ecode360.com/14731895#14731895)

Lakeville (https://www.lakevillema.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif751/f/pages/2021_general_bylaws_11.8.2021.pd; starts on page 57)

Lancaster (http://ecode360.com/13265856#13265856)

Lexington (https://ecode360.com/38000594; see Sections 135-5.4 and 176-12.8)

Lincoln (http://www.lincolntown.org/DocumentCenter/View/6809; see Section 13.5)

Littleton (http://www.littletonma.org/filestorage/19455/1158/3918/Littleton_Zoning_Code_v_43.pdf; see Section 173-49)

Lynnfield (http://www.town.lynnfield.ma.us/Pages/LynnfieldMA_Planning/zoningbylaws.pdf; see Section 7.6)

Middleton (http://ecode360.com/10440574#10440574)

Nantucket (http://ecode360.com/11470851#11470851)

Natick (https://www.natickma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4502/Section-V—I-Outdoor-Lighting)

Needham (http://www.needhamma.gov/1614/Zoning-By-Laws; see Section 4.1.6); and http://www.needhamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1859/General-By-LawsCharter-2022-PDF; see Section 5.4.2.1)

Newton (https://www.newtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29803/638010923598570000; see Article III)

Northampton (http://ecode360.com/11958070; see §350-12.2)

Orleans (http://ecode360.com/14199009; see Chapter 122)

Plainville (http://ecode360.com/14963446; see Section 500-26 G.1.d)

Provincetown (http://provincetown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/762/Zoning-By-Laws-PDF; see Section 3430)

Rockport (https://www.rockportma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1141/f/uploads/updated_by-law_10-13-21.pdf; see Chapter 14, Section 6); lighting-bylaw handout: https://www.rockportma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1141/f/pages/lighting_info_handout.pdf)

Rowley (http://www.townofrowley.net/pdf/121210Zoning%20ALL.pdf; see Section 8.6)

Sheffield (https://www.sheffieldma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3806/f/uploads/dec4stmw.pdf)

Somerville (http://www.somervillezoning.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/2021-21-31-Somerville-Zoning-Ordinance.pdf#p465)

Southborough (http://ecode360.com/9540196)

Southbridge (https://www.ci.southbridge.ma.us/DocumentCenter/View/528/Southbridge-Zoning-Bylaws-PDF; see Section 7.2.3)

Stow (https://www.stow-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1286/f/uploads/stow_zoning_bylaws_as_of_may_2021.pdf; see Section 3.8.1.5)

Sudbury (https://cdn.sudbury.ma.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/270/2014/08/ZoningBylaws2012CompletewithIndex.pdf; see Section 3427.f)

Townsend (https://ecode360.com/9542633; public lighting: https://ecode360.com/9541832)

Truro (http://www.truro-ma.gov/sites/truroma/files/file/file/genbylaws2010.pdf; see Chapter IV, Section 6)

Tyngsborough (https://www.tyngsboroughma.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2021-06-26-Tyngsboro-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf; see Section 3.15.00)

Wayland (http://ecode360.com/12362296)

Watertown (https://ecode360.com/37103437)

Wellesley (https://wellesleyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18072/Section-512_Outdoor-Lighting)

West Tisbury (https://www.westtisbury-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif8396/f/uploads/fp-044e__1.pdf)

Westfield (https://www.cityofwestfield.org/DocumentCenter/View/5822/Article-4—Section-4-121-Lighting?bidId=)

Weston  (https://www.weston.org/DocumentCenter/View/280/The-Zoning-By-laws-of-the-Town-of-Weston-PDF; see Section I-2)

Westwood https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/home/showpublisheddocument/25757/637909927830470000; see Section 6.4)

Winchester (https://winchester.town.codes/Zoning/5.4)