Outdoor Lighting in Merced, CA (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Merced, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Merced has no dedicated dark-sky or outdoor-lighting chapter. Its most specific standards are in the sign code, Section 20.62.160, which requires shielded light sources, prefers low-pressure sodium to minimize night-sky light, bans mercury-vapor sources, and caps sign illumination at 5,000 nits by day and 500 nits at night. Residential-zone signs cannot be lit 11 p.m.-6 a.m.
Merced Outdoor Lighting and Dark-Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsLight Trespass
Merced has no numeric light-trespass ordinance, but Section 20.62.160 requires sign light sources to be shielded from adjacent buildings and streets and bars brightness that creates a nuisance for residences in direct line of sight. Internally illuminated signs must stay 100 feet from residential zones, and residential-zone signs cannot be lit between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Merced Light Trespass and Glare Rules
Some RestrictionsLooking for Merced County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Merced city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Merced County →