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Apply for an exception to the switch-off times for façade lighting

It is prohibited to illuminate the facades of buildings during certain periods. However, the illumination of façades is permitted if this is necessary for reasons of public safety or operational safety or is prescribed by or on the basis of a legal regulation. In addition, an exception can be applied for to avoid particular hardship or for other important reasons.

The background to the regulation is that the loss of species has reached dramatic proportions in recent years and the lighting of façades has a negative impact on insects. The regulation is intended to protect native insects, especially nocturnal animals.

Responsible department

The body responsible for examining the application and issuing the authorisation is

in urban districts, large district towns and in administrative communities: the municipal administration
otherwise the lower nature conservation authority at the district office

Details

Prerequisite

The application must specify the building for which an exemption is being requested. The reason for the exemption must be stated and explained. In addition, further information on the building must be provided, e.g. special (cultural-historical) significance of the building, location of the building, scope of the requested exception. It must also be shown that the recognised rules of technology for insect-friendly lighting are met.

Procedure

If you are planning to illuminate the façade of a building, you should contact the relevant authority in advance, have the permissibility of your project checked and, if necessary, apply for an exemption. The information required for this is automatically forwarded to the relevant authorities after you have entered it in the service portal.

Deadlines

It is advisable to contact the responsible authority as early as possible. It is conceivable that there will be further questions or additional requirements regarding your project that will take additional time. In principle, there are no deadlines.

Required documents

The required documents and information are requested in the service portal. These are shown as examples in the "Requirements" section.

The lower nature conservation authority at the district office will check whether the information is complete and will contact you if any documents are missing.

Costs

Depending on the respective fee regulation of the competent authority.

Processing time

Depending on the capacity utilisation of the responsible authority.

Miscellaneous

none

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Umweltministerium Baden-Württemberg, 13.03.2025