Int. No. 998
By Council Members Epstein, Wilson, Cabán, Farías, Louis, Krishnan, Marte, Hanif and Brewer (in conjunction with the Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan Borough Presidents)
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to limiting nighttime illumination for certain buildings
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Title 24 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 11 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 11
LIGHT POLLUTION CONTROL
§ 24-1101 Limitations on nighttime illumination. a. Definitions. As used in this section, the term “night” means the period of time beginning at sunset and ending at sunrise.
b. Prohibition and exceptions. No exterior or interior of a building with its main use or dominant occupancy classified in group B, E, or M pursuant to the New York city building code shall be illuminated at night, except as follows:
1. (a) An owner or operator of a building that is a landmark, as such term is defined in section 25-302, and 20 or more stories in height may apply to the landmarks preservation commission for relief from the provisions of this subdivision for such building on the grounds that such building is a significant part of the city’s skyline. Such owner or operator shall include in an application for relief under this paragraph a building lighting plan with footcandle (lux) measurements and light shielding specifications that demonstrate that illumination of such building at night will be minimized.
(b) If the landmarks preservation commission finds that such building is a significant part of the city’s skyline, determined pursuant to rules promulgated by such commission as required under subparagraph (c) of this paragraph, such commission may, after consultation with the commissioner, waive or vary the provisions of this subdivision for such building.
(c) The landmarks preservation commission shall promulgate rules regarding how such commission determines that a building is a significant part of the city’s skyline, for the purposes of subparagraph (b) of this paragraph.
2. Upon a showing by an owner or operator of a building that special circumstances indicate a need for illumination at night for safe pedestrian passage for such building, the commissioner may, in coordination with the police commissioner and the commissioner of buildings, waive or vary the provisions of this subdivision for such building to the minimum extent necessary to accommodate such illumination.
3. Where individuals are inside of a building at night, a portion of such building’s exterior or interior may remain illuminated, if necessary to allow such individuals to safely exit such building and until all such individuals exit such building.
4. Storefront display windows containing temporary seasonal displays from November 1 through January 15 may be illuminated at night, but only until midnight.
5. Storefront display windows, other than those containing temporary seasonal displays from November 1 through January 15, may be illuminated at night, provided that (i) such illumination does not exceed 50 watts per linear foot of the window perimeter until midnight and does not exceed 25 watts per linear foot of the window perimeter after midnight; (ii) no more than 20 percent of the luminaires providing such illumination are located more than 15 feet from the window; and (iii) each luminaire used for such illumination has a luminous efficacy greater than 30 lumens per watt.
c. Applicability. 1. Subdivision b of this section does not apply to a retail or wholesale establishment store that sells goods or services to consumers and occupies under 4,000 square feet of retail or wholesale space, excluding storage space, and is not one of a chain of stores.
2. Subdivision b of this section does not prohibit illumination of a building’s exterior or interior at night where such illumination is required by law, rule, or the zoning resolution of the city of New York.
3. To the extent other local laws concerning nighttime illumination of buildings are applicable to the buildings covered under subdivision b of this section and are more restrictive than such subdivision, such local laws apply to such buildings.
d. Enforcement. 1. An owner or operator of a building found to be in violation of subdivision b of this section is subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation.
2. The commissioner shall enforce the provisions of this section.
e. Reporting. No later than the thirty-first of January immediately following the effective date of the local law that added this section, and annually by January 31 thereafter, the commissioner shall submit to the speaker of the council and the mayor, and post on the department’s website, a report regarding compliance with subdivision b of this section by owners or operators of buildings during the preceding calendar year. Such report shall identify each owner or operator of a building that violated subdivision b of this section, the address of each such building, and the number of violations for each such building.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.
CMB
LS #23398
Int. #896-2024
7/29/2026 2:41 PM