Merced County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Merced County's outdoor-lighting controls are in Chapter 18.40 (Performance Standards) of the Zoning Code. Section 18.40.070(A) requires exterior lighting to be designed and maintained so that glare and reflections are contained within the boundaries of the parcel, and that fixtures be hooded and directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way. Section 18.40.070(B) prohibits blinking, flashing, or unusually high-intensity or bright lights, and Section 18.40.070(C) requires lighting fixtures to be appropriate in scale, intensity, and height for the use they serve. These provisions function as the County's de facto 'dark-sky' protections by mandating full-cutoff, downward-directed lighting that limits skyglow and spillover, even though the County has not adopted a dedicated International Dark-Sky-style ordinance with numeric lumen or color-temperature caps. Parking-area lighting standards elsewhere in Chapter 18.38 reinforce the rule that illumination must be directed downward and shielded to reduce glare on adjoining properties (minimum one foot-candle for security in urban parking lots). New development is reviewed for lighting compliance through the County's Site Plan and Design Review process.