The days are long but getting shorter. Earlier sunsets may have you thinking about installing more outdoor lighting on your property. This month's Code Compliance Corner has information on the County's Correlated Color Temperature limit.

Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) – When you see bluish-colored lighting, that lighting has a high CCT. Lighting with high CCT can have adverse impacts, including interfering with bird flight patterns and making it more difficult for humans to fall asleep. Several years ago, Fairfax County adopted a maximum CCT limit into the Zoning Ordinance. Here is some information.  

• The Zoning Ordinance CCT limit is 3,000 Kelvin (3,000K) and applies to almost all outdoor lighting. Lighting that’s not subject to the limit includes:  
  • Signs and associated electronic displays established pursuant to an approved sign permit.
  • Lighting approved via a sports illumination plan, for which a higher CCT was also approved.
  • Motion-activated lighting that meets the applicable use standards in the Zoning Ordinance.
  • Light fixtures installed prior to February 12, 2020, and for which there has been no subsequent change in the bulbs, fluorescents, or LEDs (the lamps).
• If you are not changing your light fixture but are replacing your lamps, the 3,000K CCT limit applies. At stores, some available lamps may have higher CCTs. Checking the product's packaging helps confirm if the lamps don’t exceed 3,000K CCT. 
• If your fixture is multi-lamp, CCT is not aggregate. Provided that each lamp meets the 3,000K CCT limit, then your fixture will meet the 3,000K CCT limit. 
• There are other standards that outdoor lighting must meet. Additional information is available on the Department of Planning and Development's Outdoor Lighting Standards website.

The Department of Code Compliance is here to help – if you have questions, want to make a report, or if you are the subject of enforcement and need to contact us. You can report problems online, learn about what happens during an investigation, reach us via email, phone (703-324-1300 / TTY 711), or visit us in person at 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1016, Fairfax, VA 22035.