Outdoor Lighting in Tempe, AZ

If you live in Tempe or are thinking about moving there, outdoor lighting are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Tempe has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of outdoor lighting, and some of them might surprise you.

Dark Sky Rules

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code caps on-site lighting at 40 foot-candles and classifies fixtures by cutoff type: full-cutoff fixtures can use any output up to that cap, while non-cutoff fixtures are limited to 1,700 or 600 lumens depending on lens material.

Key details: Max on-site illumination: 40 foot-candles at surface. Full-cutoff fixture lumen cap: none, up to 40 fc. Non-cutoff filtered (white/opal) cap: 1,700 lumens. Non-cutoff non-filtered (clear/prismatic) cap: 600 lumens. Freestanding fixture height near homes: 18 ft within 50 ft.

Installing a fixture that exceeds the lumen or foot-candle caps for its cutoff classification, or a mercury vapor fixture, fails photometric plan review under Sections 4-802 through 4-804. The Community Development Director can withhold the building, electrical, or sign permit, and any post-permit substitution of fixtures or lamps must be resubmitted for approval before installation.

Light Trespass & Shielding

Tempe limits spillover light at a property line adjacent to a single-family district to 0.5 foot-candle, and bars lighting next to a residential use from spilling over onto that use at all, under the Zoning and Development Code's lighting chapter.

Key details: Property-line cap near single-family: 0.5 foot-candle. Spillover onto adjacent residential use: not permitted at all. Twinkling/patio light cap at property line: 0.5 foot-candle. Approval required before installation: Community Development Director. Governing purpose clause: minimize glare onto adjoining properties, § 4-803(A).

A fixture that pushes more than 0.5 foot-candle across a property line abutting a single-family district, or that spills light onto an adjacent residential use at all, violates Section 4-803(C)(5)(f). The Community Development Director can require shielding, relocation, or dimming to bring the installation back into compliance, and noncompliant plans are not stamped for permit approval.

Billboard Lighting

Tempe requires lighting fixtures that illuminate an outdoor advertising sign (billboard) to be mounted on top of the sign structure and to comply with the same shielding standards that govern every other exterior fixture in the city.

Key details: Billboard fixture mounting: must sit atop the sign structure. Shielding standard applied: same as § 4-803 chapter-wide rules. General illumination cap: 40 foot-candles. Review required before install: Community Development Director. Applies to: outdoor advertising signs (billboards) only.

A billboard lighting fixture mounted below or beside the sign face, or one that isn't full-cutoff shielded as required elsewhere in Section 4-803, fails the permit's photometric plan review. The Community Development Director can reject the sign permit application or require the fixture to be relocated to the top of the structure before approval.

The Bottom Line

Tempe'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 Tempe is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Tempe can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.