Yolo County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8-2.1311(d), off-street parking standards
- Direction required
- Downward, away from adjacent properties/ROW
- Pole height cap
- Same as the zone's structure height limit
- Energy storage systems
- Shielded, downcast, protects 'rural night sky'
- No standalone dark-sky chapter
- Rule sits inside parking standards
Summary
Yolo County's zoning code has no freestanding dark-sky chapter, but Sec. 8-2.1311(d) sets the general shielding rule: on-site lighting for any development with off-street parking must be directed downward and away from adjacent properties and the public right-of-way, and the light pole height cannot exceed the zone's height limit.
Lighting. Parking lots shall provide on-site lighting necessary to protect the public safety. (1) Parking lots shall have lighting capable of providing adequate illumination for security and safety. Lighting standards shall be energy-efficient and in scale with the height and use of the on-premises structure(s). All illumination, including security lighting, shall be directed downward, away from adjacent properties and public right-of-way. (2) The maximum height of any parking lot light shall not exceed the height requirements of the zoning district in which it is located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Unincorporated Yolo County does not have a standalone light-pollution or 'dark sky' ordinance; the applicable standard sits inside the off-street parking rules at Sec. 1311(d), Development Standards, within the Zoning Code's parking chapter. ' The same subsection caps the height of any parking lot light pole at the height limit that already applies to structures in that zoning district. A related but narrower standard appears in the county's newer energy storage ordinance, Sec. ' Cannabis cultivation sites carry their own full cut-off, shielded, downward-facing lighting rule as well.
Outside those specific use types, ordinary residential yard and building lighting is not separately capped by a numeric standard in the Zoning Code; enforcement of the parking-lot rule runs through the same Site Plan Review and Use Permit process that approves the parking layout itself, adopted by Ord. 1445, effective August 14, 2014.
Violations & Fines
Lighting that spills onto neighboring parcels or the public right-of-way in violation of Sec. 8-2.1311(d) is a Zoning Code violation, enforced the same way as any other Code violation: an administrative citation under Sec. 1-5.07 with a grace period to fix the glare, then daily fines of up to $1,000 for a misdemeanor violation, or the lesser infraction fine set by Government Code Sec. 25132, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Yolo County have a dark-sky or light-pollution ordinance?
Are there special lighting rules for solar battery or energy storage systems?
Can my neighbor's parking lot lights shine directly onto my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yolo County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yolo County to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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