To provide a lighting apparatus intended for use under an ambient environment with a lower temperature than a lower limit of an operation guarantee temperature of an LED as a light source, the lighting apparatus capable of achieving energy saving and long service while preventing breakage of the LED.

A lighting apparatus 1A includes an LED 11 that emits light by applying en electric current and a drive section 14 that drives the LED 11 by applying an electric current to the LED 11, and is used under an ambient environment with a lower temperature than a lower limit of an operation guarantee temperature of the LED 11. The drive section 14 applies, to the LED 11, an electric current that has such a magnitude as not to turn on the LED 11 and is used for maintaining a temperature of the LED 11 to be at least the lower limit of the operation guarantee temperature of the LED 11 while the LED 11 is off.