Outdoor Lighting in Vacaville, CA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Vacaville, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Every development in Vacaville must keep exterior lighting between one and three footcandles under VMC Section 14.09.240.110(C), a band meant to light sites safely without washing out the night sky or glaring onto neighbors. Flickering or flashing fixtures are banned outright, and only the Director of Community Development can approve going below the minimum or above the maximum.
Vacaville Outdoor Lighting: 1-3 Footcandle Cap, No Flicker
Some RestrictionsVacaville Municipal Code § 14.09.240.110(C)
Parking lot lighting shall comply § 14.09.230.080.G, Parking Area Design Standards. All developments shall comply with the following: 1. Exterior lighting shall be a minimum of one footcandle and a maximum of three footcandles. 2. Flickering or flashing lights shall not be permitted. 3. A reduction in the minimum lighting or an exception to the maximum lighting standard requirement may be grant...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Vacaville requires all exterior lighting to be shielded and aimed so it doesn't create a hazard or nuisance on a neighboring property or bleed onto adjacent streets, under VMC Section 14.09.240.110(A). Yard lights mounted on a house to light the side or rear yard specifically cannot shine above the top of the fenceline, a direct cap on spillover onto the property next door.
Vacaville Light Trespass: Shielding Required, Fenceline Cap
Some RestrictionsVacaville Municipal Code § 14.09.240.110(A)
Lighting shall be shielded and directed so as not to create a hazard or nuisance to other properties or impact traffic on adjacent streets. Lighting fixtures attached to residential dwellings to illuminate the side or rear yards shall not shine above the top of the fenceline.
Billboard Lighting
Digital freeway billboards in Vacaville cannot shine brighter than 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light, measured with a foot-candle meter, under Municipal Code Section 14.09.260.100(B)(4)(c). Every application needs a photometric plan showing light spill 250 feet from the sign face, and automatic dimming circuitry must adjust brightness as daylight changes.
Vacaville Digital Billboard Brightness Limit
Significant RestrictionsVacaville Municipal Code § 14.09.260.100(B)(4)(c)
Lighting. i. Photometric Plan. All development applications for a digital freeway billboard shall include a photometric plan identifying the anticipated light pollution from the billboard, which shall be measured 250 feet away from the face of the billboard. ii. Intensity. The intensity of each lighting element or lamp in the message center portion of the off-site advertising structure shall no...
Looking for Solano County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Vacaville city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Solano County →