Murrieta, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Riverside County Ordinance No. 655 establishes two zones around the Mount Palomar and Mount Laguna observatories, and Murrieta sits within Zone B, the 45-mile outer protection ring. The ordinance is binding on both county and city lighting and has been incorporated into Murrieta's code. It restricts new outdoor lighting to low-pressure sodium or other narrow-spectrum sources for most decorative and area lighting, requires full shielding so fixtures emit no light above the horizontal plane, and mandates that non-essential commercial lighting, such as internally illuminated signs and parking-lot lights beyond security minimums, be turned off after 11 p.m. Residential security lighting is exempt but should still be shielded to avoid glare on neighbors. New subdivisions commonly must install specific shielded streetlight fixtures approved under the ordinance. Enforcement is complaint-driven, with Riverside County and the city coordinating. Homeowners upgrading landscape or sport-court lighting should confirm fixture compliance and the 11 p.m. curfew before purchase.