Los Banos, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Article 33's stated purpose in § 9-3.3301 is partly to "[r]educe light pollution, light trespass, glare, sky glow impacts, and offensive light sources," and the design standards in § 9-3.3308 carry that out. § 9-3.3306 defines a "fully shielded" light as one "constructed so that no light rays are emitted by the installed fixture at angles above the horizontal plane as certified by a photometric test report," and § 9-3.3308(b) requires every lamp's illumination to be fully shielded from view from adjacent properties and public rights-of-way.

Ground-mounted luminaires along pedestrian walkways cannot exceed 20 feet in height under § 9-3.3308(a), and light measured from buildings is capped at 10 initial horizontal foot-candles under § 9-3.3308(c), tested after 100 hours of lamp operation. Approved bulb types under § 9-3.3308(e) are limited to metal halide, induction lamp, compact fluorescent, incandescent (including tungsten-halogen), high-pressure sodium and LED, with any other source requiring sign-off from the approving body. No pole may carry more than two fixtures except for sports lighting or public recreational facilities (§ 9-3.3308(g)).

Essential safety and security lighting must stay on from dusk to dawn, while non-essential lighting for landscaping, tennis courts and similar features must be turned off one hour after the close of business (§ 9-3.3303), and where practicable fixtures must use timers, sensors or photocells. Recreational-facility lighting has its own curfew under § 9-3.3307: events must wrap up by 10:30 p.m. if practical, and illumination of the field, court or track cannot continue past 11:00 p.m. except to finish a game already underway. Discretionary-permit applicants must submit a full lighting plan, and where the Planning Division requires it, a photometric plan reading foot-candles at 10-foot intervals across the site and 10 feet past the property line (§ 9-3.3313).