Outdoor Lighting in Santa Barbara, CA (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Santa Barbara, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
The City of Santa Barbara's Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 22.75, Ord. 5035) protects the night sky by prohibiting certain fixtures, requiring shielded lighting, and promoting full-cutoff fixtures. Mercury-vapor and low-pressure sodium lamps, searchlights, and lasers are banned, and design guidelines cap pole-and-fixture height at 20 feet.
Santa Barbara Dark Sky and Outdoor Lighting Rules
Some RestrictionsLight Trespass
Under Municipal Code Section 22.75.060, outdoor lighting in or adjacent to residential zones in the City of Santa Barbara must control glare and prevent light trespass onto neighboring properties. Enforcement is complaint-based: the City can abate nuisance lighting after a written complaint and finding that it unreasonably affects a neighboring resident.
Santa Barbara Light Trespass Rules
Some RestrictionsLooking for Santa Barbara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Barbara city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Santa Barbara County →