Mohave County, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Mohave County has enforced dark-sky lighting for decades through Ordinance 87-1, the Outdoor Light Control Ordinance, integrated into the Zoning Ordinance. New outdoor lighting must be fully or partially shielded so light rays are projected below the horizontal plane of the fixture, cutting glare and sky glow across the desert. Searchlights for advertising are prohibited, and unshielded high-intensity display or security lighting is restricted after 11:00 p.m. These local rules track Arizona's statewide dark-sky framework, A.R.S. § 49-1101 et seq., which for decades has required shielded outdoor fixtures to protect the state's celebrated night skies. Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and Bullhead City apply their own exterior-lighting codes inside city limits.