Albuquerque, NM Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The IDO's Outdoor and Site Lighting chapter, § 14-16-5-8, is intended to reduce light trespass, minimize disruption to natural ecosystems, and prevent unnecessary sky glow that reduces the visibility of stars in the night sky. Section 5-8(C) bans mercury vapor lights outright and bars any outdoor light source rated below 45 lumens per watt, though seasonal and festoon lighting are exempt from that efficiency floor. No luminaire anywhere in the city may exceed a Backlight-Uplight-Glare (BUG) rating of G2, and beacons or searchlights can't run at night except for emergency use by authorized first responders.

Section 5-8(E)(1) then sets the baseline shielding rule for everything else: luminaires must be fully shielded or carry a U0 rating, meaning zero lumens escape above 90 degrees from straight down, and unshielded floodlights on articulated mounts are prohibited outright. On top of shielding, § 5-8(E)(2) caps color temperature at 3000 Kelvin and requires a minimum Color Rendering Index of 65 for most fixtures, keeping outdoor lighting warmer and less blue-white than typical modern LEDs, though very warm sources below 2700K are allowed in the most sensitive Natural Dark Zone and Light Zone 0 areas.

These standards apply citywide to new development, expansions of 25 percent or more, and one-for-one bulb replacements. Zoning Enforcement can act on a complaint, and an administrative hearing officer can order noncompliant fixtures re-aimed or removed and impose a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation per day under § 14-16-6-9(C)(5)(f).