Outdoor Lighting in San Benito County, CA (2026)

3 rules for unincorporated San Benito County, California.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of San Benito County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Dark Sky Rules

Unincorporated San Benito County regulates outdoor lighting near Fremont Peak and Pinnacles to protect night-sky visibility, banning upward floodlighting outright and requiring shielded fixtures across three lighting zones.

San Benito County Dark Sky Lighting Rules

Some Restrictions

San Benito County Code § 19.31.006

(A) Outdoor floodlighting by flood light projection above the horizontal plane is prohibited. (B) All light fixtures that are required to be shielded shall be installed in such a manner that the shielding is effective... (C) All light fixtures, except streetlights, shall be located, aimed or shielded so as to minimize stray light trespassing across property boundaries.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Light Trespass & Shielding

Unincorporated San Benito County limits outdoor lighting near Pinnacles National Monument and Fremont Peak State Park through a three-zone dark-sky ordinance capping lumens per acre and requiring shielded fixtures.

San Benito County Outdoor Lighting Dark-Sky Rules

Some Restrictions

San Benito County Code § 19.31.001

The purpose of this chapter is to encourage lighting practices and systems which will: minimize light pollution, glare, light trespass, conserve energy and resources while maintaining night-time safety, utility, security and productivity; and curtail the degradation of the night time visual environment. The Board of Supervisors recognizes that topographic and atmospheric conditions within the c...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Billboard Lighting

Unincorporated San Benito County requires internally illuminated outdoor advertising signs to use opaque backgrounds with translucent lettering and shut off after business hours or a set nighttime curfew.

San Benito County Billboard Lighting Rules

Some Restrictions

San Benito County Code § 19.31.007(C)

Outdoor internally illuminated advertising signs shall be constructed with an opaque background and translucent letters and symbols. Lamps used for internal illumination of the signs shall not be included in the lumens per net acre limit set in this section. The signs shall be turned off at 9:00 p.m. or when the business closes, whichever is later. (D) Class 3 lighting must be extinguished...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All San Benito County ordinances

See every category we cover for San Benito County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.

San Benito County Ordinance Hub →