Sea turtle lighting rules for pool decks, walkways and hardscape on the barrier islands
May 1 to October 31, any light the beach can see must be long-wavelength and shielded. Here is the rule, the codes and the fixtures that pass.
- Season
- May 1 to October 31
- Wavelength
- 560 nm or longer (amber/red)
- Fixtures
- Fully shielded, downward-directed, full cut-off
- Codes
- Sarasota County Ch. 54 Art. XXIII; Longboat Key Ch. 100 (Ord. 2021-01); Venice; FDEP Rule 62B-55
What do the sea turtle lighting rules require of hardscape lighting?
From May 1 to October 31, any artificial light visible from a nesting beach must be long-wavelength (560 nanometers or longer, amber or red) and mounted in fully shielded, downward-directed fixtures, or be turned off. Sarasota County enforces this under Chapter 54, Article XXIII; the Town of Longboat Key under Chapter 100 (Ordinance 2021-01, adopted July 2, 2021); the City of Venice under its own rules; all trace to the FDEP model ordinance in Rule 62B-55.
For pavers and concrete this means path lights, step lights, wall-cap lights, column lights and pool-cage perimeter lighting are specified as FWC Certified Wildlife Lighting from the start on Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, Casey Key, Manasota Key and Venice Island, and it costs nothing extra to do it that way in a new install. Retrofitting later means lifting pavers.
What the codes say
| Jurisdiction | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sarasota County (Siesta Key, Casey Key, Manasota Key, unincorporated beaches) | Extinguish white lights visible from the beach or replace with amber/red LEDs in shielded fixtures; Sea Turtle Protection Program (941) 861-5000 | Code Ch. 54 Art. XXIII; county lighting guide |
| Town of Longboat Key | Turtle-friendly bulbs (FWC-certified or 560 nm+ without filters) and fixtures (fully shielded, downward, full cut-off, opaque interior) for all light visible from the beach; Code Enforcement tests bulbs, (941) 316-1966 ext. 2520 | Ch. 100, Ord. 2021-01 |
| City of Venice | Red or amber LEDs in shielded, downward-directed fixtures on beach-visible properties | City page; county Ch. 54 Art. XXV |
| State model | Definitions of certified wildlife lighting, sea turtle lighting district, pool-area and outdoor-area provisions | FDEP Rule 62B-55.004 (effective 2020-12-17) |
Fixtures that pass
- Recessed paver lights with amber LEDs and a louver or hood.
- Step and riser lights with a hood, amber LED, mounted low.
- Hardscape lights under a seat-wall cap, amber, full cut-off.
- Column lights with a full cut-off shroud and an amber lamp.
- Any fixture on the FWC Certified Wildlife Lighting list, which the Town of Longboat Key links and which local suppliers stock; the Town also lists retail amber A19 and PAR38 LED bulbs.
What fails: white LEDs, white bulbs behind amber lenses, unshielded path lights, uplights on palms, cage lights visible from the sand.
Design rules used on island projects
- Put fixtures low and aim them down; a light you can't see from the beach standing on the sand is the goal.
- Wire in conduit under the pavers during the base work.
- Use brass or copper fixtures; salt air eats powder-coated aluminum.
- Put the transformer on a photocell and a timer; the season is May through October but the fixtures stay amber all year, because swapping bulbs twice a year is how people end up in violation.
- Keep a copy of the FWC certification for each fixture with the permit file.
Official links
Questions we get about this
What lighting can I put on a pool deck on Longboat Key between May 1 and October 31?
Bulbs that are FWC Certified Wildlife Lighting or that produce only long-wavelength light of 560 nanometers or more without filters, gels or lenses, in fixtures that are FWC-certified or fully shielded, downward-directed, full cut-off with non-reflective opaque interiors, wherever the light is visible from the beach, under Town Ordinance 2021-01 (Chapter 100).
What does 560-nanometer turtle-friendly lighting mean?
Light at the amber-to-red end of the visible spectrum. Research cited by the Town shows hatchlings are far less likely to be disoriented by wavelengths of 560 nm and longer; modern amber and red LEDs produce it directly. A white LED behind an amber lens does not qualify.
Do path lights in a paver walkway need to be turtle compliant on Casey Key?
Yes, if the beach can see them. Sarasota County's Marine Turtle Protection article (Chapter 54, Article XXIII) applies on Casey Key, Siesta Key and Manasota Key; the county's guidance is to extinguish white lights visible from the beach or replace them with amber or red LEDs in shielded fixtures.
Is the rule only for beachfront houses?
It's for any light visible from the beach, which on a narrow key can include the second row and a lit pool cage. The county and the Town test with a survey from the beach at night.
Last reviewed September 10, 2026 by the Sarasota Concrete editorial team (author name pending owner input).