French legislation

Main points

Legal texts

Roads

Further information

First of all, let's look at the different types of light pollution that exist:

• + useful light
• - Reflected light
• - Light directed upwards
• - Intrusive trespass light
• - Glare
• - Blue light

Concerning lighting direction :

• Anything that shines higher than horizontally (in relation to the light source) is forbidden.

With regard to color temperature, here are the possibilities:

• Below 2400K  : authorized everywhere, including outside built-up areas, in sensitive zones, except where lighting is forbidden (towards water or the sky)
• Up to 2700K  : authorized in built-up areas in sensitive zones (Regional Nature Parks, Natura 2000 zones, etc.).
• Up to 3000K  : authorized in unprotected urban areas.
• Above 3000K  : prohibited

All this is explained in detail in the 2018 order shown below.

- Legal texts -

Here are the references to official texts, presented in chronological order.

* Environment Code : Grenelle 2 Law *

This law aims to strengthen environmental protection in France. It includes provisions to combat light pollution, by encouraging the rational use of public and private lighting to reduce light nuisance, with obligations for local authorities and public lighting managers.
LAW n° 2010-788 of July 12, 2010 - art. 173

* Order of January 25, 2013 *

Text relating to the night-time lighting of non-residential buildings in order to limit light pollution and energy consumption.
Arr 2013-01-25

• Interior lighting on business premises is switched off one hour after the premises are no longer occupied.
• Illuminations on building facades are switched off 1 a.m. at the latest.
• Store or exhibition window lighting is switched off no later than 1 a.m. or one hour after the end of occupancy, whichever is later.
• Store or exhibition window lighting may be switched on from 7 a.m. or one hour before the start of the activity, whichever is earlier.
• Illuminations on building facades must not be switched on before sunset.

In March 2018, the French Council of State ordered the French Government to complete the light pollution regulations within nine months. This has now been achieved with the decree of December 27, 2018 on the prevention, reduction and limitation of light pollution, which takes up the obligations of the decree of January 25, 2013, and completes them by extending its scope to all lighting installations defined in article R. 583-1 and adds technical prescriptions (orientation, color temperature).

the Decree of December 28, 2018 on night lighting.
This decree specifies several points:

• Temporality: when is lighting permitted?
  
  

  Historical building parks and gardens	1h after closing time, 1 a.m. max.
  Interior of premises	1h after end of occupancy
  Shop windows	after 7 a.m. or 1h before start of activity 1h after end of occupancy
  parking lots	2h after end of activity
  construction site	1h after end of activity

  
  
  These measures can be adapted if these installations are coupled with presence detection devices or with a natural lighting control system.
  
  Prefects may adopt more restrictive provisions to take account of the particular sensitivity of fauna and flora to the effects of light, as well as ecological continuity.
  
  The mayor may derogate from these heritage-enhancing provisions on the eve of public holidays and during Christmas illuminations.
  
  
  The prefect may grant exemptions for exceptional events in a tourist zone where there are large numbers of visitors or permanent cultural events, with a prefectoral decree.


• Technical specifications:
  
  Light intensity

  In built-up areas
  streets	35 lumen/m²
  park	25 lumen/m²
  building parking lot	25 lumen/m²
  outside built-up areas
  road	25 lumen/m²
  park	10 lumen/m²
  building parking log	20 lumen/m²

  Lux is for enlightment, Lumen is for light source.
  
  Color used

  Less than 2400K	authorized everywhere, including outside built-up areas, in sensitive zones
  Up to 2700K	authorized in built-up areas in sensitive zones (Regional Nature Parks, Natura 2000 zones, etc.)
  Up to 3000K	authorized in unprotected urbanized areas.
  Above 3000K	prohibited

  See the color temperature if 2400K is not clear for you.
  
  

* Advertising *

This decree, dated October 17, 2022, stipulates that in the event of high demand on the power supply grid and a threat to security of supply, all illuminated or digital advertising must be switched off or, failing that, put on standby. Failure to comply with this rule could result in a €1,500 fine.

* Decree of November 3, 2023 *

Decree no. 2023-1021 of November 3, 2023 defines a 5th-class contravention to punish failure to comply with the obligation to extinguish illuminated advertising during periods of risk of power distribution failure, as set out in article L143-6-2 of the Energy Code.
This contravention can be filed by Officers and agents of the judicial police.
This includes :

• police officers, gendarmes and municipal police officers who have received specific training


• Territorial civil servants: certain municipal or territorial agents, such as ASVP (agents de sécurité de la voie publique) and the French Biodiversity Office.


• Sworn agents: Other public agents, the French Biodiversity Agency (AFB) in the context of their specific missions.

- The roads -

The french Senate website indicates the responsibility for lighting on the subject of departmental roads: the mayor must ask the departmental council for approval, but the initiative lies with the mayor, not the department.

To sum up

• The mayor is responsible for maintaining lighting systems in good working order.
• If lighting, it must meet certain criteria: intensity and color.
• In case of no lighting, Responsibility is waived if information is provided at the entrance to the commune.

- Further information -

You may also wish to refer to the following articles on the French government website:
Green growth ?

The Environment Code on the prevention of nocturnal nuisance.

The Night-time lighting of advertising, signs and professional buildings) fact sheet, 2022.

Creation of a green fund to subsidize for enlightment renovation in 2024

These laws must be implemented by local authorities, but everyone can also take action at their own level!