Outdoor Lighting in Sonoma, CA (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Sonoma, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
SMC 19.40.030 requires every exterior lighting fixture in a City of Sonoma development to be energy efficient, shielded, and capped at 15 feet, and mandates timers that cut lighting back at night specifically when nocturnal animals and insects are active. The rule applies to both discretionary and ministerial projects citywide.
Sonoma Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsSonoma Municipal Code § 19.40.030(A), (B), (E)
A. Exterior Fixtures. Lighting fixtures shall be energy efficient. Pole-mounted fixtures shall be low in height (up to 15 feet) and shall be equipped with light shields to eliminate light spillage beyond the project’s boundaries. ... Light schedules, programs and timers: Lights shall have timers that reduce or turn off the light fixture or fixtures when businesses are closed, residents are not ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
SMC 19.40.030(D) bars any exterior light source or its reflected glare from being directly visible from five feet or more beyond a City of Sonoma property line, though the shielding duty exempts single-family homes and public street or traffic lighting. Recreational court lighting carries its own tighter footcandle caps at the property line.
Sonoma Light Trespass Limits On Neighbors
Some RestrictionsSonoma Municipal Code § 19.40.030(D), (F)(6)
D. Shielding. Where the light source is visible from outside the project boundary, shielding shall be required to reduce glare so that neither the light source nor its image from a reflective surface shall be directly visible from any point five feet or more beyond the property line. This requirement shall not apply to single-family residential uses, traffic safety lighting, or public street li...
Looking for Sonoma County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sonoma city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Sonoma County →