Concord does not have a formal dark-sky ordinance but CMC Title 18 requires exterior lighting to be shielded, downcast, and not spill onto neighboring properties. New development must submit a photometric plan demonstrating zero foot-candle spillover at property lines.
Concord is not an International Dark Sky Community but CMC Title 18 Development Code (Outdoor Lighting Standards) includes performance-based lighting requirements consistent with dark-sky principles. New and substantially remodeled commercial, multifamily, and mixed-use projects must submit a photometric site plan prepared by a qualified lighting designer showing: (1) all fixture locations and specifications, (2) horizontal illuminance at grade, and (3) zero foot-candles measured at residential property lines. Exterior fixtures must be fully shielded (IESNA full-cutoff) so that no light is emitted above the horizontal plane of the fixture. LED color temperature should not exceed 3000K for residential-adjacent projects to reduce blue-light sky glow. Uplighting of trees, flags, and architectural features is limited to 75 watts and must be turned off after 11 PM in residential-adjacent areas. Sports field and parking lot lighting must extinguish within one hour of close. Residential low-voltage landscape lighting is generally exempt from photometric review but subject to nuisance complaints. Concord is adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park, a designated Dark Sky Park since 2023, which has prompted increased attention to light pollution from inland East Bay cities.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Contra Costa County.
See how other cities in Contra Costa County handle dark sky rules.
See how Concord's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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