Outdoor Lighting in Petaluma, CA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Petaluma, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Petaluma bans direct glare from outdoor lighting citywide, allowing parking-lot and walkway fixtures only if hooded or shielded to a 60-degree illumination cone, mounted at least six feet up, capped at 20 feet unless the Zoning Administrator approves higher standards, and limited to 3 foot-candles at ground level.
Petaluma Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsPetaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance § 21.040(D)(1)
1. Direct Glare. Direct glare is defined for the purpose of this Ordinance as illumination visible at the points of measurement specified in Section 21.120(B) caused by direct or specularly reflected rays from incandescent, fluorescent, or arc lighting, or from such high temperature processes as welding, or petroleum or metallurgical refining. No such direct glare shall be permitted with the ex...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Petaluma limits reflected light off a building's walls or roof to 0.3 foot-candles maximum and 0.1 foot-candle average as measured at neighboring property, and separately bans deliberately casting a beam upward for advertising unless a temporary sign permit has been issued.
Petaluma Light Trespass and Reflected Glare
Some RestrictionsPetaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance § 21.040(D)(2)
2. Indirect Glare. Indirect glare is defined for the purpose of this ordinance as illumination visible at the points of measurement specified in Section 21.120(B) caused by diffuse reflection from a surface such as a wall or roof of a structure. Indirect glare shall not exceed that value which is produced by an illumination of the reflecting surface not to exceed: .3 foot candles (maximum) .1 f...
Billboard Lighting
Petaluma caps illuminated signs near residential zones at 30 foot-lamberts of surface brightness and bars direct lighting there, while outdoor advertising structures (billboards) face a 1,500-foot separation, a 300-square-foot size cap and conditional-use review restricted to the C2, BP and I Districts.
Petaluma Billboard Lighting Rules
Some RestrictionsPetaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance §§ 20.030(C), 20.080
C. Lighting. An illuminated sign within five hundred (500) feet of an R District measured along the radius of one hundred eighty (180) degree arc in front of a face of the sign, shall not be directly lighted, but may be indirectly lighted, provided that the surface brightness shall not be greater than thirty (30) foot lamberts. ... ... A. Conditional use permit required; subject to restrictions...
Looking for Sonoma County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Petaluma city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Sonoma County →