Bay Area Model Outdoor Lighting Ordinance

A template ordinance for adoption by Bay Area cities and counties, adapted from the City of Palo Alto's outdoor lighting standards (Palo Alto Municipal Code §18.40.250, Ord. 5692, effective February 2026). Bracketed text marks where an adopting jurisdiction should substitute its own district names, section numbers, or department titles. Municipal ordinances are government edicts and not subject to copyright, so this template adapts Palo Alto's operative structure and numeric thresholds directly, generalized for use by any Bay Area city.

Sec. 1. Purpose

The intent of this ordinance is to establish exterior lighting standards to reduce light pollution. Exterior lighting of parking areas, pathways, and common open spaces — including fixtures on building facades and free-standing lighting — shall:

Reduce light pollution and its adverse effects on the environment, wildlife habitat, and human health by implementing Dark Sky principles of responsible outdoor lighting that are useful, targeted, low-level, controlled, and warm-colored;
Minimize the visual impacts of lighting on abutting or nearby properties and adjacent roadways;
Provide safe and secure access on-site and along adjacent pedestrian routes;
Achieve maximum energy efficiency; and
Complement the architectural design of the project.

Sec. 2. Definitions

Correlated Color Temperature (“Color Temperature”) means a specification of the color appearance of light emitted by a light source, measured in Kelvin (K). Lower numbers are warmer; higher numbers are cooler.

Fully Shielded means a luminaire constructed and installed such that all light emitted — directly from the lamp or a diffusing element, or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part of the luminaire — is projected below the horizontal plane extending from the bottom of the lamp.

Glare means light entering the eye directly from a luminaire, or indirectly from a reflective surface, that causes visual discomfort or reduced visibility.

Light pollution means the adverse effects of artificial light, including glare, light trespass, sky glow, energy waste, compromised safety, and impacts on the nocturnal environment — including light left on when it no longer serves a useful function.

Lumen means the unit of measure for the amount of visible light produced by a lamp or emitted from a luminaire, as distinct from watt (a measure of power consumption).

Luminaire means an outdoor illuminating device, lamp, or similar fixture, including solar-powered lights and all parts used to distribute light or protect the lamp, whether permanently installed or portable.

String lighting means light sources connected by free-strung wires or tubing, producing several or many points of light.

Sec. 3. Applicability

Except as provided in Sections 4 and 6(D)(1) below, these standards apply to:

All newly constructed structures and buildings;
Structures or buildings undergoing a substantial remodel, as defined in [adopting jurisdiction's building code definition]; and
New installation, replacement, or modification of outdoor luminaires or lighting systems.

Existing outdoor light fixtures installed before this ordinance's effective date shall come into conformance according to the compliance schedule in Section 10.

Sec. 4. Exemptions

(A) Full exemptions, not subject to any provision of this ordinance:

Lighting for emergency personnel;
Lighting authorized by a special event, temporary use, or construction permit;
Lighting necessary for airport operations, airport safety, or air navigation, as determined by [airport authority], if the jurisdiction operates an airport;
Lighting for streets, roadways, and public walkways and bikeways;
Lighting necessary for the safety of 24/7 public facility operations, as determined by [City Manager or equivalent].

(B) Conditional exemptions, exempt only if the stated condition is met:

Illuminated street numbers, subject to Section 6 (Illumination Level and Color Temperature);
Seasonal holiday lighting, limited to a defined period each year (Palo Alto uses October 15 – January 15) and extinguished by midnight;
Lighting for emergency shelters, subject to [jurisdiction's emergency shelter provisions].

Sec. 5. Shielding

All outdoor lighting shall be fully shielded and directed to avoid light trespass. No lighting shall trespass more than 0.1 foot-candle, measured at the property line.

Narrow exceptions to shielding apply to:

Low-voltage landscape uplighting for fountains, shrubbery, trees, walkways, outdoor art, or public monuments, limited to a 10-watt incandescent bulb or LED equivalent (or no more than 150 lumens), and not directed toward the public right-of-way;
Sidewalk-facing lighting for zero-lot-line development, if motion-activated and set to extinguish within five minutes without further activation;
String lighting, per Section 8(A) below.

Sec. 6. Illumination Level, Color Temperature, and Lighting Control

(A) Color temperature. All outdoor light sources shall have a correlated color temperature of 2,700 Kelvin or less.

(B) Site illumination. Maximum outdoor light intensity on a site shall not exceed an average of 5 foot-candles.

(C) Mounting height. Exterior lighting fixtures in parking lots shall be mounted no higher than 15 feet from grade in residential development, and no higher than 20 feet in commercial and mixed-use development.

(D) Lighting curfew and controls.

All outdoor luminaires — new and existing — shall be fully extinguished, or set to motion-sensor operation, by 11:00 p.m., two hours after close of business, or one hour after people are no longer present in exterior areas, whichever is later.
Motion-sensor lighting shall extinguish within five minutes of no further activation.
All lighting shall extinguish automatically via daylight sensor or control system when sufficient daylight is available, except lighting under canopies, in tunnels, in parking garages, or at garage entrances.
Exceptions to the curfew: building-entrance, parking-area, walkway, and driveway lighting; pathway lights emitting 25 lumens or less; and pathway lighting (bollard, step, or building-mounted) no taller than 4 feet and fully shielded.

Sec. 7. Residential Lighting

In low-density residential districts [adopting jurisdiction: list equivalent district names]:

No spillover of lighting onto adjacent residential properties is allowed.
A maximum of 1,260 lumens is allowed for each fully shielded outdoor fixture; no more than 420 lumens for permitted non-shielded outdoor fixtures.
Skylights shall limit night-time illuminance and glare through translucent (not white) glass, shading, or interior light placement.
Free-standing recreational or security lighting shall be no more than 12 feet in height.

Sec. 8. Special-Purpose Lighting

These provisions prevail over any conflicting standard elsewhere in this ordinance.

(A) String lighting. Color temperature shall not exceed 2,700 Kelvin; no individual lamp shall exceed 42 lumens; no blinking, flashing, or chasing patterns. In commercial and mixed-use areas, string lighting is limited to designated outdoor dining, display, or common open-space areas.

(B) Athletic facilities. Field lighting shall illuminate only the surface of play, viewing areas, and adjacent safety zones; off-site impacts shall be minimized; lights shall extinguish by 10:30 p.m. except during active play or maintenance immediately before/after a permitted event, subject to a timer that prevents accidental overnight operation.

(C) Fueling/service stations. Canopy lighting shall be fully recessed or mounted flush to the canopy underside, directed away from adjoining properties and rights-of-way; no fixtures on top of the canopy fascia; maximum average illumination under the canopy of 12.5 foot-candles; no free-standing lighting above 15 feet; canopy fascia shall not be illuminated.

(D) Elevated outdoor space (rooftop decks, balconies, rooftop dining, etc.): lighting shall be shielded from public view, fully shielded with no uplighting, dimmable, on an 11:00 p.m. timer, and shall not trespass more than 0.1 foot-candle beyond the perimeter of the space.

Sec. 9. Prohibited Lighting

Except for emergency personnel during an active emergency, the following are prohibited:

Outdoor lighting that blinks, flashes, or rotates; and
Searchlights, aerial lasers, or spotlights.

Sec. 10. Compliance Schedule for Existing Lighting

Within one year of this ordinance's effective date, existing outdoor luminaires capable of adjustment (via existing dimmers, directional adjustability, or timers) shall be brought into conformance with the lighting-control requirements of Section 6, excepting the shielding requirement of Section 5, which applies on the timeline set by the adopting jurisdiction.

Sec. 11. Hardship Exceptions

[Adopting jurisdiction's planning director or equivalent] may grant an exception from these standards where an applicant demonstrates either:

Compliance would impair the historic integrity or character-defining features of a building on a local, state, or national historic register; or
Compliance would more than double the cost of the project, limited to replacement of existing luminaires or a change in lighting type/system requiring a building permit.

Sec. 12. Public Facilities

Public facilities, including those owned and operated by the adopting jurisdiction, shall comply with these standards to the extent feasible. [Planning director or equivalent] may grant adjustments necessary for a facility's efficient operation, maintenance, or safety, consistent with the intent of this ordinance, subject to written request and review.

Sec. 13. Recommended Companion Provision: Bird-Friendly Glazing

Jurisdictions adopting this lighting ordinance are encouraged to pair it with a bird-friendly glazing standard for new construction — requiring window and glass treatments (patterned, fritted, or screened glazing) on unbroken glazed elevations of 24 square feet or larger — as Palo Alto did in PAMC §18.40.280. Artificial light and reflective/transparent glass are independent drivers of bird collision risk; addressing lighting alone leaves the glazing half of the problem unregulated.

Sec. 14. Conflict with Other Codes

Lighting required by the applicable building code, fire code, or state or federal law shall additionally comply with this ordinance, except where doing so would create a direct conflict — in which case the building code, fire code, or state/federal law prevails.

Source: adapted from Palo Alto Municipal Code §18.40.250 (Ord. 5692 § 2, 2026), a public government enactment. Adopting jurisdictions should have this template reviewed by their own city attorney before introduction, since local zoning district names, cross-references, and procedural sections (appeals, permit review paths) will need to be conformed to each city's own municipal code structure.