<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-11-18</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000866970</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LIGHTING SCIENCE GROUP CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LSCG.PK</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001267424</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BACHMAN ROBERT E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O USGT INVESTORS MANAGEMENT CO</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>2100 MCKINNEY AVENUE SUITE 1555</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-11-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>26569</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.75</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>261286</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>USGT Investors, LP</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Price is based upon the average closing price of the stock for the period beginning September 1, 2009 and ending September 30, 2009 as payment in lieu of cash for directors fees for the third quarter of 2009. The average price of the stock for September 2009 was $0.752757 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes: (i) 5,554 shares issuable by the issuer to USGT Investors, LP (&quot;USGT&quot;) pursuant to the conversion of 6% Convertible Preferred Stock of the issuer; (ii) 22,187 shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of warrants at a price of $6.00 per share (all of which are vested); (iii) 40,000 shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of options at a price of $6.40 per share (all of which are vested); and (iv) 6,250 shares issuable to USGT pursuant to the exercise of options at a price of $10.80 per share (all of which are vested).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The following warrants expired out-of-the-money on the dates indicated: (i) September 19, 2009 - warrant to purchase 2,500 shares of common stock at $17.40 per share; (ii) October 31, 2009 - warrant to purchase 2,500 shares of common stock at $10.60 per share. No value was received by warrant holder for the expired warrants. The expired warrants have been deducted from the Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned shown in this column.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Robert E. Bachman</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-11-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
