Report a street light fault
If you want to report a street light fault on a public road or street in Northern Ireland, you can do so online. This includes traffic signs and belisha beacons.
Before you start
This service is currently experiencing problems and at times will be unavailable. We are working as quickly as possible to resolve the issue. Apologies for the inconvenience. If you wish to report an issue that poses a risk of damage to property or harm to the public, phone 0300 200 7899 (24 hours a day)
Warning
Damaged or faulty electrical equipment can cause serious injury or death -do not touch it or interfere with it.
If you think the problem is a serious threat to life or safety, phone Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads on: 0300 200 7899
Upgrading or installing street lights
If you feel that street lighting needs to be upgraded or installed in your road, you should write to the street lighting engineer for your area using the details on the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads page.
Privacy notice
You can find out how any personal information you send to DfI Roads when using this 'report a fault' service will be handled by viewing its privacy notice.
Additional information
Tracking the progress of a fault
You are able to check the progress of a fault you have reported at this link:
Reporting by email or phone
You can also report a street light fault by email to DfI Roads or by phone (for emergencies) to 0300 200 7899.
Emergencies include:
- a street light hanging off
- bare cables showing
- street light column door off
- the lighting pole has been knocked down
The following details will help identify the location of the fault:
- town
- road or street name
- nearest house number
- column number (on yellow and black label), if known
- details of the fault - for example ‘not working at night’, ‘lit during daylight’, ‘column door missing’, or ‘traffic accident damage’
Street lighting in urban areas
Generally, all roads, car parks and footpaths adopted (owned) by DfI in urban areas are lit. Exceptions to this include:
- rear paths which only give local access
- sections of adopted urban roads where there is no continuous housing development
DfI is not responsible for lighting away from the public road network - for example, security lighting to council parks and council car parks.
LED lighting is the preferred choice for new and replacement street lighting schemes for adopted roads and footpaths.
New housing developments
The street lights in new housing developments are installed by the building developer during construction until the road is adopted by DfI. Until then the developer is responsible for:
- the payment of electricity for the street lights
- street lighting faults
- repair of vandalism-damaged columns
Rural roads
Rural roads are not usually lit unless there is a community of at least 10 houses along a 200-metre stretch, or a history of night-time road collisions.
How to ask for better lighting
If you feel that street lighting needs to be upgraded or installed in your road, you should write to the street lighting engineer for your area. Use the contact details at the links below.
- Department for Infrastructure Roads - Northern Division
- Department for Infrastructure Roads - Southern Division
- Department for Infrastructure Roads - Eastern Division
- Department for Infrastructure Roads - Western Division
More useful links
Problems with roads and streets
- Claim compensation due to a road or street problem
- Clearing ice and snow from footways
- Complaining about how a roads-related claim was handled
- Drains, gullies and sewers
- Ice and snow on roads and streets
- Report a pothole
- Report a problem with a crash barrier or guardrail
- Report a problem with a manhole or gully cover
- Report a road drainage fault
- Report a road spillage
- Report a street light fault
- Report an issue with a road sign or marking
- Report an issue with graffiti or fly-posters
- Report an issue with ice or snow
- Report an issue with roadworks
- Report an obstruction on a road or street
- Reporting problems with pavements and private street maintenance
- Road spillages
- Roadside grass cutting, weeds and overgrown hedges or trees
- Track progress of a compensation claim
- Track progress of a reported road fault or issue
- Track progress of a reported street light fault
- Traffic lights and reporting a fault
- When you see animals wandering on the road