Halifax Adds Outdoor Lighting Restrictions to Nuisance Bylaw
Halifax Regional Council has amended its nuisance and smoking bylaw to restrict intrusive outdoor lighting from private properties, with daily fines ranging from $50 to $1,000 for violations.
Halifax Regional Council has approved an addition to the municipality's nuisance and smoking bylaw that introduces restrictions on intrusive outdoor lighting from private properties. 
The updated regulation targets exterior lighting that unreasonably disturbs the use and enjoyment of interior living spaces in adjacent properties. Steven Berkman, HRM’s manager of bylaw standards, explained that the intent is to prevent neighbours from having exterior lighting that unreasonably disturbs adjacent properties.
Fines for violating the new rules range from $50 to $1,000 per day. Enforcement will be complaint-based, similar to how other nuisances are handled under the bylaw. Residents can file complaints if exterior lighting disturbs their interior living space, and property owners may need to adjust light direction or brightness to comply. Bylaw officers can issue tickets or pursue legal action for repeated violations.
Several categories of lighting are exempt from the new regulations. Temporary lights from construction sites are not covered. Other exemptions include lights required for building codes, public safety, municipal streetlights, traffic control, and playing fields. Campgrounds are also exempt because they are not considered residences, though some hotels classified as residences fall under the bylaw's requirements. 
The bylaw does not apply to large signs, such as the IKEA sign in Dartmouth Crossing, which are regulated separately under land-use bylaws.