Outdoor Lighting in Yavapai County, AZ (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Yavapai County, Arizona.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Yavapai County's Section 603 dark-sky ordinance caps single-family lots at 5,000 lumens and commercial/industrial lots at 50,000 lumens per acre, requires most fixtures to be fully shielded, and bans mercury vapor lights installed after 1950.
Yavapai County Dark-Sky Outdoor Lighting Rules
Some RestrictionsYavapai County Planning & Zoning Ordinance § 603.A, D.1, D.2 (Table 603-1)
The purpose of this Section is to support the preservation of dark night skies which are enjoyed as an environmental quality by residents of the County. This Section establishes regulations that allow outdoor lighting for uses and activities consistent with the requirement for functionality and safety, while minimizing: Light escaping directly from fixtures, or indirectly after reflection from ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Every outdoor fixture in unincorporated Yavapai County must be aimed to keep its direct light inside the property line, and any fixture over 5,000 lumens within 50 feet of a residential lot or public right-of-way must carry a black-painted shield under Zoning Section 603.D.4.
Yavapai County Light Trespass Standards
Some RestrictionsYavapai County Planning & Zoning Ordinance § 603.D.4
All outdoor light fixtures, including motion sensing lighting, must be located, aimed, and shielded so that the direct illumination from the fixture is confined to the property boundaries of the source. Any privately or publicly owned outdoor light fixture with an output over 5,000 lumens located within 50 feet of any residential (including multi-family development) property or public right-of-...
Billboard Lighting
Externally lit signs and billboards in unincorporated Yavapai County count as Class 1 Lighting, must be fully shielded, and count toward the property's total lumen cap; internally lit signs skip shielding and the lumen count but must still shut off by 10 PM, per Section 603.D.7.
Yavapai County Sign & Billboard Lighting Rules
Some RestrictionsYavapai County Planning & Zoning Ordinance § 603.D.6, D.7
Externally Illuminated Signs: (1) All externally illuminated sign lighting is classified as Class 1 Lighting, and must be fully shielded. (2) External sign lighting counts toward the total light output established in Table 603-1... Internally Illuminated Signs: (1) All internally illuminated sign lighting is classified as Class 1 Lighting. Internally illuminated signs are exempt from shielding ...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Yavapai County
1 cities in Yavapai County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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