Outdoor Lighting in Murrieta, CA (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Murrieta, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Murrieta sits inside the thirty-mile Palomar Observatory dark sky zone, and §16.18.110 forces most outdoor fixtures to be fully shielded, favors low-pressure sodium lamps, bans high-lumen fixtures in most uses, and shuts off decorative and sign lighting between 11 p.m. and sunrise to cut light pollution reaching the telescope.
Murrieta Dark Sky Zone Lighting Rules
Significant RestrictionsMurrieta Code of Ordinances § 16.18.110(C), (G)
Dark Sky Zone. The circular area thirty (30) miles in radius centered on the Palomar Observatory. Fully Shielded. Outdoor light fixtures shielded or constructed so that light rays emitted by the fixtures are projected below the horizontal plane passing through the lowest point on the fixture from which light is emitted. ... G. Prohibitions. 1. All Class I lighting shall be off between eleven (1...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Murrieta requires exterior lighting to be shielded so glare and the light source itself stay off neighboring parcels, and caps parking-lot and outdoor lighting at 0.3 footcandles at residential property lines. The shielding duty comes from §16.18.100 but exempts residential uses, sign illumination, traffic safety lighting and public street lights.
Murrieta Light Trespass Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsMurrieta Code of Ordinances § 16.18.100(A), (C)
A. Exterior Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be: ... 2. Directed downward and shielded so that glare is confined within the boundaries of the subject parcel; ... 4. Appropriate in height, intensity, and scale to the uses they are serving. Outside and parking lot lighting shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles at residential property lines. ... C. Shielded Lighting. Light sources shall be shielded to...
Looking for Riverside County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Murrieta city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Riverside County →