Outdoor Lighting in Albuquerque, NM (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Albuquerque, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Albuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance bans mercury-vapor lights and inefficient bulbs outright, caps every outdoor fixture's glare rating, and requires full shielding on nearly all luminaires. IDO § 14-16-5-8 also limits color temperature to 3000K to protect the night sky, cutting sky glow across the city.
Albuquerque Dark-Sky Outdoor Lighting Standards
Significant RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-8(C)(1)(a)-(b), (C)(3)(a), (C)(3)(c), (E)(1)(a), (E)(2)(a); § 14-16-6-9(C)(5)(f)
Mercury vapor lights are prohibited. ... Inefficient light sources (less than 45 lumens/watt) are prohibited for outdoor use, excluding seasonal and festoon lighting. ... No luminaire specification shall exceed a Backlight, Uplight, and Glare (BUG) rating of G2. ... Beacons and searchlights are prohibited at night, except for emergency use by authorized first responders. ... Unless specified ot...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Albuquerque caps how much light can spill from one property onto its neighbor. IDO § 14-16-5-8(G) sets numeric light trespass limits, measured in foot-candles at the property line, ranging from 0.02 fc in the most sensitive Natural Dark Zone up to 0.8 fc in the brightest commercial zone.
Albuquerque Light Trespass Limits on Neighbors
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-8(G)(1)-(3), Table 5-8-3; § 14-16-6-9(C)(5)(f)
Unless specified elsewhere in this IDO, all outdoor luminaires shall be located or optically shielded such that the point light source is not visible from adjacent property or public right-of-way. ... The total illumination from outdoor light sources and interior light escaping from windows shall not exceed light trespass limits in Table 5-8-3, as measured at any location along the property lin...
Billboard Lighting
Electronic signs in Albuquerque, including off-premises billboards converted to electronic display, must carry automatic dimming controls and cannot exceed 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, measured at a distance set by sign area. Images must be static, changing no more than once every 8 seconds with sub-1-second transitions.
Albuquerque Electronic Sign Illumination Limits
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-12(H)(4)
5-12(H)(4) Illumination, Brightness, and Images ... Electronic signs shall comply with all the following requirements, in addition to any applicable and more restrictive requirements in § 14-16-5-12(E)(5) (Illumination and Motion). 5-12(H)(4)(a) Electronic signs shall have automatic dimming controls, with either photocell (hardwired) or software settings. ... 5-12(H)(4)(b) Electronic signs shal...
Looking for Bernalillo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Albuquerque city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Bernalillo County →