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Goodyear, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Banned
Mercury vapor light sources, citywide
Zone 1 fixtures
Full-cutoff, house-side shielded only
Zone 1 color limit
3,200 Kelvin maximum
Searchlights/strobes
Require separate Use Permit
Zone 1 uplighting cap
1,800 lumens
Reviewed by
Planning & Zoning, Outdoor Lighting Plan

Summary

Goodyear's Zoning Ordinance bans mercury vapor lighting citywide and requires nearly every other outdoor fixture to be shielded under Section 4.5.5. Searchlights and strobe or flashing lights need a separate Use Permit in every lighting zone, and Zone 1 fixtures must stay at or below 3,200 Kelvin with full-cutoff, house-side shielded designs to protect the city's darker night-sky areas.

4.5.5. Light Sources and Fixture Shielding. Mercury Vapor light sources shall not be allowed. Searchlights and strobe/ flashing lights are not allowed in any Zone without a separate Use Permit, and the duration of the allowed use may be limited by Planning & Zoning staff. Lasers, exposed neon, and other intense linear light sources are not allowed in Zone 1, but they are allowed in Zones 2 and 3 and subject to approval and stipulations by Planning & Zoning staff during the design review process. Lasers must be aimed at-or-below the horizontal plane and terminated on an opaque surface within the project site. ZONE 1. Pole or wall-mounted fixtures shall be full-cutoff fixtures only. All perimeter fixtures shall possess house-side shielding Bollards shall be louvered and utilize coated lamps. All light sources shall have a color temperature of less than or equal to 3,200 Kelvin. Wall-mounted fixtures of greater than 1,800 lumens shall possess house-side shields. Uplighting fixtures shall not exceed 1,800 lumens.

Full Breakdown

5, flatly prohibits mercury vapor light sources anywhere in Goodyear. Searchlights and strobe or flashing lights are barred in every lighting zone unless the applicant obtains a separate Use Permit, and Planning & Zoning staff can limit how long that use runs even after a permit is issued. Lasers, exposed neon and other intense linear light sources cannot be used at all in Zone 1, the city's most light-sensitive designation, though Zones 2 and 3 allow them subject to Planning & Zoning approval during design review; any approved laser must point at or below the horizontal plane and terminate on an opaque surface within the project site rather than shine outward.

Shielding requirements scale with zone: in Zone 1, pole and wall-mounted fixtures must be full-cutoff only, every perimeter fixture needs house-side shielding, bollards must be louvered with coated lamps, and no light source may exceed a color temperature of 3,200 Kelvin. Wall-mounted Zone 1 fixtures over 1,800 lumens need house-side shields, and uplighting is capped at 1,800 lumens. m. 4's operating-hour cutbacks, so a fixture compliant on shielding can still be required to shut off or dim after hours depending on its zone.

Violations & Fines

An Outdoor Lighting Plan must be approved before Development Services signs off on a Site Plan, and staff reject plans specifying mercury vapor fixtures, unshielded Zone 1 lighting, or searchlights and lasers without an approved Use Permit. Built lighting that doesn't match the approved plan or that exceeds the lumens and Kelvin caps for its zone can be cited as a zoning violation, and Planning & Zoning can compel retrofitting non-conforming fixtures to house-side or full-cutoff shielding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are mercury vapor lights allowed anywhere in Goodyear?
No. Section 4.5.5 of the Zoning Ordinance bans mercury vapor light sources outright, with no zone exception and no permit path around it. Any outdoor lighting plan submitted to Development Services that specifies mercury vapor fixtures will be rejected, so replacement fixtures for older properties have to use an approved alternative light source instead.
Can I install a searchlight or laser at my Goodyear business?
Only with a separate Use Permit. Section 4.5.5 bars searchlights and strobe or flashing lights in every lighting zone without one, and Planning & Zoning staff can limit how long the permitted use runs. Lasers are barred outright in Zone 1 and only allowed in Zones 2 and 3 with staff approval during design review, aimed at or below the horizontal plane.
What outdoor lighting standard applies in Goodyear's darkest zone?
Zone 1 carries the strictest standard: pole and wall-mounted fixtures must be full-cutoff only, perimeter fixtures need house-side shielding, bollards must be louvered with coated lamps, and no light source can exceed 3,200 Kelvin color temperature, with uplighting capped at 1,800 lumens. These rules stack on top of the Section 4.5.4 requirement to dim or shut off non-security lighting after 10:00 p.m.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Goodyear

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