Bathroom Lighting Zones and IP Ratings in Australia (Part Three)
30 Sep 2026
Water and electricity, what a great combination!
Happily, Australia has plenty of rules about lighting in bathrooms to keep us safe, and if you ignore them you'll be in seriously hot water. The rules are clearly defined, which makes them easy to follow. Sometimes they'll mean you can't have exactly what you want, but with the right professionals in your corner, you'll find a solution that complies and inspires.
If you love a technical document, grab a copy of AS3000 and settle in. Or leave that 611-page document of fun times to your lighting designer and electrician, and get familiar with the highlights. Understanding a little of the why makes it much easier to have informed opinions and make the best choices for your home.
Your bathroom has four zones, and water decides where they sit
The zones tell us what lighting can and can't be used within certain distances of water.
Zone 0 is inside the shower base, the bath and the basin.
Zone 1 is the vertical projection of Zone 0 over the bath and shower, up to 2.5m high (above 2.5m is officially outside the zone). It also includes a 1200mm radius from the fixed plumbing connections in your shower, like the shower rose (a barrier or shower door can reduce this).
Zone 2 is a 600mm radius outside Zone 1 around the bath and shower, 150mm out from the vanity basin, and a 400mm vertical projection above the basin's maximum water level. For lighting, the simplest approach at the vanity is to keep everything at least 400mm above the top of the basin and 150mm from its sides.
Zone 3 is 2.4m outside Zone 2, up to 2.5m above the floor.
The IP rating tells you how well a light keeps water out
IP stands for Ingress Protection. It's a rating that classifies light fittings (and plenty of other things) by how well water and dust are kept away from the electrical parts. For more detail, read Understanding IP Ratings in LED Lighting.
What each zone needs
(Any electricians reading this: we're talking about homes here, not communal or commercial spaces.)
Zone 0: no light fittings.
Zone 1: IP65, with a remote driver, so the light fitting in the room runs on SELV (safety extra-low voltage, most commonly 24VDC or 12VDC). Shower niche lighting sits here, and we'd go further, with IP67 tape at 24V on a remote driver. The same goes for in-ground uplights near a bath: IP67, a remote driver, and a build team that is exceptional at waterproofing, because every one of them is a hole in your bathroom floor.
Zone 2: IP44 minimum.
Zone 3: IP20 is allowed, but bathrooms are steamy places and sealed fittings avoid moisture problems. For anything recessed into the ceiling, IP44 is best practice, and IP65 if you want it fully sealed.
Pretty lights and wet zones rarely mix
Most of the decorative lights we love to see in bathrooms aren't IP65, for lots of good technical reasons. If you want decorative lighting, keep it well away from the water in basins, showers and baths, and choose something rated at least IP44. And a straightforward one, however much Pinterest disagrees: pendants over baths aren't compliant in Australia.
Lighting one bathroom?
Our Bathroom Lighting Design Made Easy guide has an IP zone diagram and table, plus light ideas for the shower, bath and vanity that sit safely within them. Use code READBATHBLOGS for 10% off. Get the guide →
Building or renovating the whole house?
MINT designs lighting for whole homes across Australia and internationally, with every wet area worked through zone by zone alongside the rest of the house. We don't sell light fittings, which leaves us free to recommend whatever suits your home, from any brand. Explore our home lighting design services →
Phew, that's the basic rulebook. None of it has to limit how beautiful your bathroom is, as long as the zones are part of the plan from day one (a surprise at the final inspection is nobody's idea of fun).