Camarillo, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Ventura County's Dark Sky standards are in Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance Sec. 8109-4.7, applied through the Dark Sky (DKS) Overlay Zone, which includes the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council area (Mira Monte, Casitas Springs, Meiners Oaks, Oak View). Under the General Standards in Sec. 8109-4.7.4, all luminaires installed or replaced after November 1, 2018 must be fully shielded, directed downward and maintained to avoid light trespass beyond the lot line (porch and under-eave entry lights may be partially shielded). The correlated color temperature of each luminaire (except security lighting) may not exceed 3,000 Kelvin (Sec. 8109-4.7.4(b)), and each luminaire (except security and outdoor recreational lighting) has a maximum output of 850 lumens (Sec. 8109-4.7.4(c)). 'Dark hours' under Sec. 8109-4.7.4(d) require all non-essential outdoor luminaires to be turned off from 10:00 p.m. (or when people are no longer present, or close of business, whichever is latest) until sunrise. Security lighting may reach 2,600 lumens, but above 850 lumens it must use motion sensors with timers that turn off within 10 minutes (Sec. 8109-4.7.4(e)). Sec. 8109-4.7.3 prohibits perimeter-of-lot luminaires (except security/safety) and lights that blink, flash, rotate, fade or strobe. No retrofits are required for existing residential, open-space, agricultural or rural lighting that complied as of the effective dates; existing non-compliant non-essential lights must simply be off during dark hours.