How Redding Handles Outdoor Lighting: A Practical Guide
Redding maintains 137 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with outdoor lighting. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Redding falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Dark Sky Rules
Redding requires all exterior lighting on new commercial, office and industrial development to be shielded so the bulb or tube itself is never visible from an adjacent property or the public right-of-way. Parking-lot and building lighting must be fully shielded and directed downward, and floodlighting is discouraged unless shielded against light trespass. The rule sits in Section 18.40.090.
Key details: Applies to: commercial, office and industrial development only. Shielding standard: bulb/tube not visible from adjacent property. Parking lighting: fully shielded, no spillover at property line. Floodlighting: discouraged; must block trespass and upward glare. Review stage: lighting plan required before building permit.
Lighting that fails to meet Section 18.40.090 is corrected through the building-permit and site development permit review process: Development Services can withhold approval or require a revised lighting plan before construction proceeds. Once installed, non-shielded fixtures causing glare or light trespass onto neighboring property can be pursued as a code violation and, if left uncorrected, escalate to the city's general nuisance-abatement remedies under Title 18.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Redding's zoning code requires exterior lighting on commercial, office, and industrial properties to stay on-site. Under Section 18.40.090(B), every fixture must be shielded so its light source is never visible from an adjacent property, and floodlighting specifically must be blocked from crossing the property line or shining above a ninety-degree horizontal plane.
Key details: Scope: Commercial, office, and industrial developments only. Shielding rule: Light source not visible from adjacent property. Floodlight limit: No beam above 90-degree horizontal plane. Plan requirement: Lighting plan filed with new construction. Governing section: RMC 18.40.090(B).
Lighting violations are enforced as general municipal code infractions under Section 1.12.010 and Section 1.12.020: a first offense is punishable by up to a one-hundred-dollar fine, rising to two hundred dollars for a second conviction and five hundred dollars for a third within a year, or the city attorney can charge it as a misdemeanor carrying up to a one-thousand-dollar fine and six months in county jail, with each day of continued glare counted as a separate violation.
The Bottom Line
Redding'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 Redding is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Redding's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.