Outdoor Lighting in Santa Barbara County, CA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Santa Barbara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Every new or replaced outdoor light fixture in unincorporated Santa Barbara County must be fully shielded or full cutoff, and light spilling across a property line is capped at 0.1 foot-candles (up to 0.25 in some multi-family, commercial, and industrial situations). Search lights, laser lights, mercury vapor lights, and uplighting are banned outright, and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas may not be illuminated at all.
Santa Barbara County Outdoor Lighting Dark-Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code § 35.30.120(C), (D)(2), (E)(1)
C.Prohibited Lights and Lighting. The following lights and lighting are prohibited.1.Search lights, strobe lights, laser source lights, or similar high intensity lights except as specifically exempted or for the purposes of gathering meteorological data.2.Mercury vapor lights.3.Uplighting. ... 2.Light Levels at Property Lines. The light level at property lines shall not exceed 0.1 foot-candles,...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Within Santa Barbara County's unincorporated Coastal Zone, County Code Sec. 35-139 requires every exterior light fixture to be hooded and bars any unobstructed beam from shining onto a residentially zoned or developed property or an environmentally sensitive habitat area. Four community plan overlays, Summerland, Goleta/Eastern Goleta Valley, Montecito and Gaviota Coast, add stricter shielding and curfew standards on top of this countywide baseline.
Light Trespass Rules in Santa Barbara County's Coastal Zone
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 35-139
All exterior lighting shall be hooded and no unobstructed beam of exterior lighting shall be directed toward any area zoned or developed residential, or toward any environmentally sensitive habitat area. No lighting shall be so designed as to interfere with vehicular traffic at any portion of a street. Division 13 (Summerland Community Plan Overlay), Division 14 (Goleta Community Plan and Easte...
Billboard Lighting
Illuminated advertising signs, including off-premise billboards, within the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan area of the Coastal Zone must go dark between 11:00 p.m. and sunrise under County Code Sec. 35-192.3. Only on-premise business signs may stay lit, and only while the business is open. The curfew does not extend to the rest of the unincorporated county.
Santa Barbara County Billboard Lighting Curfew
Some RestrictionsSanta Barbara County Code Sec. 35-192.3(c)(1)
All exterior lighting installed on property located within the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan area on or after December 14, 2017 shall comply with the following: ... c.Prohibited lights and lighting. 1)All illuminated advertising signs on and off premises shall be off between 11:00 p.m. and sunrise, except that on-premises signs may be illuminated while the business is open to the public...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Santa Barbara County
1 cities in Santa Barbara County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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