Outdoor Lighting in Davis, CA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Davis, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Davis adopted its Outdoor Lighting Control ordinance to preserve the night sky as a natural resource, requiring fully shielded fixtures on new commercial, industrial, multifamily and public lighting so no light shines above the horizontal plane of the fixture.
Davis Outdoor Lighting Shielding Standards
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.17.010; § 8.17.030(a), (d)
The purpose of this article is to create standards for outdoor lighting to minimize light pollution, glare, and light trespass caused by inappropriate or misaligned light fixtures, while improving nighttime public safety, utility, and security, and preserving the night sky as a natural resource and thus people's enjoyment of looking at the stars. ... All outdoor light fixtures installed after t...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Davis Municipal Code Article 8.17 defines light trespass as artificial light that produces unnecessary and unwanted illumination of a neighboring property, and requires every outdoor fixture installed after the article's effective date on commercial, industrial, multifamily or public property to be fully shielded, limiting trespass and glare to a reasonable level.
Davis Light Trespass Limits on Property
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.17.030(a)
(a) All outdoor light fixtures installed after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this article and thereafter maintained upon private property used for commercial, industrial or multifamily purposes, as defined in the zoning code of the city, shall be fully shielded. In addition, light trespass and glare shall be limited to a reasonable level through the use of shielding, and direc...
Billboard Lighting
Any externally illuminated sign, billboard, advertising display or building identification sign covered by Davis's Outdoor Lighting Control ordinance must use top-mounted fixtures that shine downward and are fully shielded, while signs built of translucent material and lit from within skip the shielding requirement entirely.
Davis Sign and Billboard Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsDavis Municipal Code § 8.17.030(c)
(c) Externally illuminated signs, advertising displays, billboards, and building identification shall use top mounted light fixtures which shine light downward and which are fully shielded.
Looking for Yolo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Davis city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Yolo County →