Merced, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture requirement
- all fixtures shall be hooded
- Minimum illumination
- 1.0 foot-candle over lot
- Applies to lots with
- 6+ parking spaces
- Lighting schedule
- nighttime business hours
- Governing section
- MMC 20.38.070(G)
Summary
Merced requires every fixture lighting a parking lot of six or more spaces to be hooded and energy efficient, keeping light directed downward and off adjoining properties. Its zoning code does not extend full-shielding rules to other outdoor fixtures citywide.
G.Lighting.1.A parking area with six (6) or more parking spaces shall include outdoor lighting that provides a minimum illumination of 1.0 foot candles over the entire parking area or as otherwise required by the building code.2.Outdoor lighting as required by Subsection G.1 above shall be provided during nighttime business hours.3.All parking space area lighting shall be energy efficient and designed so that any glare or spillage is directed away from residential properties.4.All fixtures shall be hooded.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
070(G), within the parking and loading design standards, is Merced's shielding rule for site lighting. 0 foot-candle across the entire lot, or whatever the building code otherwise requires, and that lighting must run during nighttime business hours under (G)(2). The shielding mandate follows immediately: subsection (G)(4) requires "all fixtures shall be hooded," full stop, with no qualifying threshold or exception listed in the text. Subsection (G)(3) pairs that hooding requirement with an energy-efficiency mandate, requiring parking area lighting to be designed so glare or spillage is directed away from residential properties.
38 (Parking and Loading) and, by their own terms, apply specifically to qualifying parking areas rather than to every outdoor fixture on a site; Merced's code does not contain a freestanding, citywide dark-sky ordinance covering non-parking exterior lighting such as landscape or building accent lighting. 030, which limits direct light spillover onto adjacent single-family lots to protect residential neighbors from industrial glare.
Violations & Fines
A parking lot lighting installation that is not hooded, or is designed so glare spills onto adjacent residential property, fails the standard in Section 20.38.070(G) and can be rejected at site plan review or cited after construction by development services; unresolved violations are treated as a public nuisance under Section 1.12.080 and are punishable under the general misdemeanor/infraction penalty scale in Section 1.12.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Merced require shielded (hooded) outdoor lighting?
Is there a citywide dark-sky ordinance in Merced?
What illumination level does a Merced parking lot need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.