Maricopa, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Shielding
- Fully or partially required
- Mercury vapor
- New fixtures prohibited
- Searchlights
- Advertising use prohibited
- Recreation lighting
- Off by 11:00 p.m.
- Temporary exemption
- Up to 30 days
Summary
Maricopa requires exterior lighting fixtures to be fully or partially shielded, bans new mercury vapor lamps and unshielded illumination of buildings, signs and landscaping, and caps outdoor recreational facility lighting at 11:00 p.m. under City Code Chapter 18.95.
All lighting shall be designed to confine direct rays to the premises or onto adjacent public rights-of-way.
1. Shielding. All exterior illuminating devices, except those exempted from this chapter, shall be fully or partially shielded.
a. “Fully shielded” shall mean that those fixtures shall be shielded in such a manner that light rays emitted by the fixture, either directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture, are projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest point on the fixture where light is emitted.
b. “Partially shielded” shall mean that those fixtures shall be shielded in such a manner that the bottom edge of the shield is below the plane center line of the light source (lamp), minimizing the light above the horizontal.
2. Filtration.
a. Those outdoor light fixtures requiring a filter shall be equipped with a filter whose transmission is less than five percent total emergent flux at wavelengths less than 3,900 angstroms. Total emergent flux is defined as that between 3,000 and 7,000 angstrom units.
b. Low pressure sodium lamps are the preferred lamp for minimizing adverse effects on astronomical observations.
3. Requirements for Shielding and Filtering. The requirements for shielding and filtering light emissions from outdoor light fixtures shall be set forth in the following table:
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-10, passed April 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 18.95 of the Maricopa City Code regulates outdoor lighting citywide to cut light pollution and glare. Every exterior fixture, other than fossil-fuel-burning lamps or federal/state-exempt facilities, must be fully or partially shielded per § 18.95.020(B), with filtration required for certain lamp types. Section 18.95.050 bans searchlights used for advertising, unshielded illumination of buildings, signs and landscaping, and the installation of new mercury vapor fixtures: existing mercury vapor lamps must be replaced when a property undergoes substantial alteration. Outdoor recreational facilities cannot stay lit past 11:00 p.m. without an approved special-event permit, and the zoning administrator may grant temporary lighting exemptions for up to 30 days.
Violations & Fines
The zoning administrator enforces Chapter 18.95 through the zoning code's standard compliance process; noncompliant fixtures must be shielded, filtered, or removed, and unauthorized mercury vapor or unshielded lighting can be ordered corrected or replaced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do outdoor lights in Maricopa need to be shielded?
Are mercury vapor lights allowed in Maricopa?
Can floodlights illuminate a sign or landscaping unshielded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa
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