Outdoor Lighting in Hawthorne, CA (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Hawthorne, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Light Trespass & Shielding
Hawthorne requires commercial parking lots serving more than ten spaces to keep at least one foot-candle of light on the pavement and to engineer fixtures so they do not throw direct glare or 'stray light' onto neighboring properties, under Hawthorne Code § 15.60.100(J)(4).
Hawthorne Parking Lot Light Trespass Standard
Some RestrictionsHawthorne Code § 15.60.100(J)(4)
Open parking lots, and access thereto, providing more than ten parking spaces and for use by the general public, shall be provided with a maintained minimum of one foot candle of light on the parking surface from dusk until the termination of business every operating day. Lighting shall be engineered so as not to produce direct glare or "stray light" on adjacent properties.
Billboard Lighting
Freeway Overlay Zone billboards in Hawthorne cannot use red, blinking, or intermittent lighting that could be mistaken for a warning signal, and digital displays are capped at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light with a required sensor that automatically adjusts brightness as conditions change.
Hawthorne Billboard Illumination Limits
Some RestrictionsHawthorne Code § 17.88.030(I)
Digital billboards shall not operate at brightness levels of more than 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, as measured using a foot candle meter at a pre-set distance. ... Each digital billboard must have a light sensing device that will adjust the brightness as ambient light conditions change. ... No billboard shall involve any red or blinking or intermittent light likely to be mistaken for ...
Looking for Los Angeles County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Hawthorne city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Los Angeles County →