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

4 governs outdoor lighting on private non-residential property citywide. The core placement standard requires that lighting be shielded or recessed so that direct light, glare, and reflections stay within the site's boundaries to the maximum extent feasible, and that fixtures be directed downward and away from adjacent residential properties and public rights-of-way, addressing both light trespass onto neighboring homes and glare into the street. A separate clause bars any permanently installed light from blinking, flashing, or being of unusually high intensity or brightness, with the Director of Community Development making that determination on a case-by-case basis.

Fixture intensity, scale, and height must also match the use they serve, so a light is not allowed to be oversized relative to its purpose in a way that creates unreasonable impacts on surrounding property or draws attention to a site. 4(B) gives the Director authority to require complete photometric plans, showing projected light levels across the site, as part of any permit application involving exterior lighting, letting the City verify shielding and spillover before installation rather than after a complaint. The section is written to reach commercial, industrial, and other non-residential lighting; it does not separately regulate ordinary residential yard or porch lighting fixtures.