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, the County's light-trespass ordinance, regulates illuminated signs alongside Title 22.140.430. Billboard faces and on-premise signs visible from public ways must use fixtures with full cutoff optics, no light emitted above the horizontal plane. Maximum vertical illumination on the sign face is 30 foot-candles, with property-line spill capped at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient. Internally illuminated signs must reduce brightness to dark-sky levels between 11pm and 6am if within 500 feet of residential zones. The Hillside Management Area in Title 22.140.380 imposes stricter dark-sky rules in foothill communities. Building and Safety inspects on complaint. Contract cities follow their own lighting codes.
Billboards exceeding the 0.3 foot-candle property-line spill, upward spill, or failing to dim after 11pm near residential areas face Code Enforcement citations under Title 22.140.385, fines up to 500 dollars daily, and corrective orders.
Glendale, CA
Glendale does not have a dedicated dark-sky ordinance but regulates outdoor lighting through zoning code standards. Lighting must be directed downward and sh...
Glendale, CA
Outdoor lighting in Glendale must be shielded and directed to prevent light from spilling onto adjacent properties. Light trespass violations may be addresse...
See how Glendale's billboard lighting rules stack up against other locations.
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