Downey, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Direction rule
- No light onto streets or abutting property
- Residential height cap
- 8 ft, except porch/building lights
- Residential wattage cap
- 300 watts maximum per fixture
- Fence-mounted lights
- No more than 6 in above fence
- Buffer near R-1/R-2
- Low-level lighting within 46 ft
- Approval authority
- City Planner approves type and intensity
Summary
Downey requires outdoor lighting citywide to be shielded and directed away from streets and neighboring properties under Municipal Code Section 9520.06(c). In the R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-3-O zones, fixtures cannot exceed eight feet in height or 300 watts, exposed bulbs are banned, and fence-mounted lighting cannot rise more than six inches above the fence.
(c) In all zones, outdoor lighting shall be directed, positioned, and/or shielded as not to direct light on any street or abutting property as shown in Figure 9.5.7. ... (d) In the R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-3-O Zones, no outside lighting shall exceed eight feet in height, except building lights, i.e., porch lights or the equivalent. In any case, no light fixture shall exceed a maximum lighting output of 300 watts. ... (f) All lighting shall be adequately shielded as shown in Figures 9.5.8 and 9.5.9. Exposed bulbs shall not be permitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4807734; v5 updated 2026-01-27).
Full Breakdown
06(c) requires that in all zones, outdoor lighting be directed, positioned, and/or shielded so that it does not direct light onto any street or abutting property, tying the City's dark-sky standard directly to preventing spillover onto neighbors. Subsection (f) reinforces this by requiring all lighting to be adequately shielded and banning exposed bulbs outright. Subsection (d) adds a hard height and output cap in the residential zones: in R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-3-O, no outdoor light fixture may exceed eight feet in height, aside from building-mounted lights such as porch fixtures, and no fixture in any case may exceed 300 watts of output.
Subsection (h) limits fence- or wall-mounted lighting to no more than six inches above the top of the fence or wall, and that lighting can never exceed the height limit that applies to the fence or wall itself under the underlying zone's standards. Where parking or driveway areas in the R-3, R-3-O, H-M, M-U, or commercial and manufacturing zones abut an R-1 or R-2 property, subsection (g) requires low-level lighting that does not rise above the required screening wall within 46 feet of the R-1 or R-2 property line.
1 foot-candle at the property line. The City Planner approves the type, location, and intensity of lighting standards under subsection (e), and fixtures must be decorative in design.
Violations & Fines
Outdoor lighting that spills onto a street or an abutting property, exceeds the eight-foot height or 300-watt cap in residential zones, or uses an exposed, unshielded bulb violates Section 9520.06 and can draw a Code Enforcement citation requiring the fixture be re-aimed, shielded, lowered, or replaced. Fence- or wall-mounted lights exceeding six inches above the structure, or exceeding the fence's own height limit, are cited the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can an outdoor light pole be at my Downey house?
Can my neighbor's floodlight legally shine into my yard?
Are string lights on my patio fence exempt from these rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Downey
California rules heatmap·Compare Downey to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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