Las Cruces's Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (Chapter 39) requires new residential fixtures to be fully shielded and directed downward. Commercial lighting is capped by lumen limits and must dim 30 percent or shut off by 11 p.m. Violations are a petty misdemeanor.
Chapter 39 of the Las Cruces Municipal Code, the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (Ord. No. 2781, adopted May 2, 2016), enforces dark-sky standards. All new residential outdoor luminaires must be fully shielded or fully shielded residential, emitting no light above horizontal, with narrow exceptions such as one main-entry fixture up to 1,800 lumens and motion-sensor security lights under 1,800 lumens aimed at least 65 degrees below horizontal and off within 15 minutes. The city is divided into lighting zones 0 through 4 that cap commercial site lumens. Commercial lighting must be reduced at least 30 percent or extinguished by 11 p.m. or 30 minutes after closing. Las Cruces's ordinance goes beyond New Mexico's Night Sky Protection Act.
Each violation is a petty misdemeanor punishable by a $50 to $300 fine under Section 39-19, and each 24-hour period is a separate offense. Nonconforming fixtures are treated as nuisances.
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See how Las Cruces's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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