5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 19 cities in Los Angeles County, California.
Verified from official government sources
LA County's Rural Outdoor Lighting District (ROLD) ordinance, effective 2012, requires fully shielded outdoor lighting and prohibits light trespass in designated rural unincorporated areas. The ROLD covers mountain and rural communities. Mercury vapor lights and drop-down lenses are prohibited.
Light trespass in unincorporated LA County is regulated under the ROLD in rural areas: 0.5 foot-candles maximum on adjacent residential/open space parcels, 1.0 foot-candles on other zones. Urban unincorporated areas rely on general nuisance provisions for light trespass complaints.
Title 22.140.385 of the LA County Code limits billboard illumination in unincorporated areas to 0.3 foot-candles above ambient measured at the property line, requires full cutoff fixtures aimed downward, and bans upward light spill into the night sky.
Title 22.140.385 of the LA County Code requires residential and commercial security lighting in unincorporated areas to use full cutoff shields aimed downward, capping property-line spill at 0.5 foot-candles and prohibiting glare onto neighboring dwellings or public ways.
Title 22.140.385 of the LA County Code exempts seasonal holiday lighting from outdoor-lighting brightness, shielding, and dark-sky rules between November 1 and January 15 each year, provided the displays do not create traffic hazards or unreasonable glare.
19 cities in Los Angeles County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
5 verified rules β’ Billboard Lighting, Dark Sky Rules
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
1 verified rule β’ Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
2 verified rules β’ Dark Sky Rules, Light Trespass
See every category we cover for Los Angeles County β parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Los Angeles County Ordinance Hub β