Glendale's Outdoor Lighting: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles outdoor lighting a little differently. In Glendale, Arizona, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Light Trespass & Shielding

Glendale Code Section 26.5-6(d) bars low-wattage, unshielded outdoor lighting from directing light onto adjacent properties and caps how far flood and spot lights may throw their beam based on the fixture's mounting height. Enforcement runs through the outdoor light controls chapter's $300-per-day civil fine after a 30-day abatement notice.

Key details: Citation: Glendale Code § 26.5-6(d). Rule: Beam cannot exceed fixture's mounting height in reach. Penalty: $300 per day after 30-day notice. Related rule: No shielded fixture aimed upward, § 26.5-6(b). Adopted: Ord. No. 1464, Dec. 9, 1986.

A light-trespass violation is a civil infraction under Section 26.5-9(a): the city must first mail or serve a notice of violation ordering correction within 30 days, after which a $300 fine accrues for every day the fixture continues to direct light onto the adjacent property or beyond the height-based beam limit in Section 26.5-6(d).

Dark Sky Rules

Chapter 26.5 of the Glendale Code requires most outdoor light fixtures to be fully shielded and filtered to control glare and preserve dark skies. High-pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent, tungsten, halogen, incandescent, and mercury vapor fixtures must be fully shielded, outdoor recreational lighting must go dark by 11:00 p.m., and violators face a $300-per-day civil fine.

Key details: Citation: Glendale Code § 26.5-5, § 26.5-6. Shielding: Fully shielded: HPS, metal halide, incandescent, etc.. Recreational lighting curfew: Off by 11:00 p.m.. Penalty: $300 per day after 30-day notice. Effective date: January 1, 1987.

Section 26.5-9(a) makes a chapter violation a civil infraction carrying a $300 fine per day the violation continues after the abatement period expires. Under 26.5-9(b), the city must first serve or mail a notice of violation to the owner, lessee, or person in control of the premises describing the violation and ordering it abated within 30 days of receipt before the daily fine can begin.

Billboard Lighting

Glendale forces digital billboards dark overnight and caps their glare at the property line. UDC § 35.4.310(B)(4)(o)-(r) requires illumination to shut off between 11 p.m. and sunrise except for emergency alerts, limits nighttime brightness to 310 foot-candles, and bans spillover above one foot-candle onto a neighboring lot.

Key details: Governing section: UDC § 35.4.310(B)(4)(o)-(r). Illumination curfew: Off 11 p.m. to sunrise. Curfew exception: Amber alerts, government emergencies only. Nighttime brightness cap: 310 foot-candles. Property-line spillover cap: 1.0 foot-candle at adjacent line.

An operator running a digital billboard past 11 p.m. without an amber-alert or emergency exception, exceeding the 310 foot-candle nighttime cap, or spilling more than 1.0 foot-candle onto a neighbor's property line violates § 35.4.310(B) and Chapter 35.4.300's sign standards generally. Because no dedicated fine appears in the sign article, the violation defaults to the Code's Sec. 1-7 general penalty, a Class 1 misdemeanor for each day of continued violation, or a civil code infraction pursued in Glendale City Court.

The Bottom Line

Glendale's outdoor lighting rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Glendale is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Glendale's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.