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

Hemet does not have a stand-alone dark-sky or International Dark-Sky Association-style lighting ordinance. Instead, outdoor lighting is controlled through general site-development and performance standards in Chapter 90 of the zoning code. Under the site-development requirements (Sec. 90-1046), all lighting shall be directed or shielded away from nearby residential zones and contained within the boundaries of the site, while still providing adequate lighting to maintain a safe on-site environment consistent with California Building Code standards.

The zoning code's performance standards further provide that no use, except a temporary construction operation, shall be permitted which creates dust, changes in temperature, or direct or sky-reflecting glare detectable by the human senses without the aid of instruments beyond the boundaries of the site. For signs, Sec. 90-1248 requires illumination to be shaded, shielded, directed, or reduced to minimize light spillage onto the public right-of-way or adjacent properties, and prohibits excessive glare that could be a traffic-safety hazard. These shielding and containment requirements function as the city's de facto light-pollution controls, though they are less detailed than a dedicated dark-sky ordinance. The city's general nuisance provisions may also apply where lighting creates a persistent disturbance.