Outdoor Lighting in Alameda, CA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Alameda, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Under Alameda's Dark Skies Ordinance, every exterior light fixture must be fully shielded and aimed downward, with narrow exceptions for low-wattage landscape lighting, historic fixtures, and limited uplighting on architecture and public art capped by watts and lumens.
Alameda Dark Skies Outdoor Lighting Shielding
Some RestrictionsAlameda, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 30-5.16(c)(3)(a)
This section shall be known as the Alameda Dark Skies Ordinance...(a)Shielding. All exterior lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded, and lighting shall be directed downward, with the following exceptions:(i)Low-voltage Landscape Lighting. Low-voltage landscape lighting such as that used to illuminate fountains, shrubbery, trees, and walkways, may be unshielded provided that it uses no more t...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Alameda's Dark Skies Ordinance caps light spilling onto a neighbor's property at one foot-candle, measured right at the shared property line, and requires exterior lighting to be aimed downward and away from property lines in the first place.
Alameda Outdoor Light Trespass Limit
Some RestrictionsAlameda, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 30-5.16(c)(3)(b)
(b)Light Trespass. Exterior lighting shall be directed downward and away from property lines to prevent excessive glare beyond the subject property. No light, combination of lights, or activity shall cast light exceeding one (1) foot-candle onto an adjacent or nearby property, with the illumination level measured at the property line between the lot on which the light is located and the adjacen...
Billboard Lighting
Alameda's sign code lets lights illuminating a billboard or other advertising structure project up to four feet past the property line, but only if they clear the sidewalk by at least ten feet. Any electrified advertising structure also needs a $1.50 Electrical Department permit before installation, layered on top of the standard building permit.
Alameda Billboard Lighting Clearance Rule
Some RestrictionsAlameda, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 6-3.2(c) (Advertising Prohibited or Restricted) (Ord. No. 535 N.S.; Ord. No. 3082 N.S.)
Lights used for illuminating advertising structures not herein classified as electric signs may extend over the street for a distance not to exceed four (4') feet beyond the property line, provided such lights are installed with a vertical clearance of at least ten (10') feet above the sidewalk.
Looking for Alameda County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Alameda city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Alameda County →