Petaluma, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Direct glare
- prohibited except shielded fixtures
- Cone of illumination
- maximum 60 degrees
- Minimum mount height
- 6 feet above ground
- Freestanding fixture cap
- 20 feet unless Zoning Administrator approves
- Ground illumination cap
- 3 foot-candles
Summary
Petaluma bans direct glare from outdoor lighting citywide, allowing parking-lot and walkway fixtures only if hooded or shielded to a 60-degree illumination cone, mounted at least six feet up, capped at 20 feet unless the Zoning Administrator approves higher standards, and limited to 3 foot-candles at ground level.
1. Direct Glare. Direct glare is defined for the purpose of this Ordinance as illumination visible at the points of measurement specified in Section 21.120(B) caused by direct or specularly reflected rays from incandescent, fluorescent, or arc lighting, or from such high temperature processes as welding, or petroleum or metallurgical refining. No such direct glare shall be permitted with the exception that parking areas and walkways may be illuminated by luminaries so hooded or shielded that the maximum angle of the cone of direct illumination shall be sixty (60) degrees if the luminary is not less than six (6) feet above the ground. Such luminary shall be placed no higher than the principal structure on the site if attached to said structure and, if not attached to the principal structure, no higher than twenty (20) feet unless the Zoning Administrator determines that special operational circumstances of the subject property require higher light standards. The maximum illumination at ground level shall not be in excess of three (3) foot candles.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
120(B). The section states flatly that 'no such direct glare shall be permitted,' carving out only one path for parking areas and walkways: luminaries must be 'hooded or shielded' so the maximum cone of direct illumination is sixty degrees, and mounted no lower than six feet above the ground. Height is capped by the fixture's attachment: a luminary attached to the principal structure can rise no higher than that structure, and a freestanding luminary is capped at twenty feet, unless the Zoning Administrator finds that special operational circumstances of the property justify higher standards.
Ground-level illumination from these shielded fixtures may not exceed three foot-candles. Because this sits inside the Performance Standards chapter, it applies to every zoning district in the city rather than a single overlay, and it operates alongside the separate Indirect Glare standard in the same subsection for reflected light off building surfaces.
Violations & Fines
An unshielded fixture, a cone angle wider than sixty degrees, a mounting height over the applicable cap, or ground illumination above three foot-candles is enforceable as a zoning violation under Section 26.020: the City Attorney can pursue abatement or an injunction on order of the City Council, and the Zoning Administrator and Building Official are separately charged with enforcing the ordinance under Section 26.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Petaluma require shielded outdoor lighting?
How tall can a parking lot light pole be in Petaluma?
Is there a brightness limit for outdoor lighting at ground level?
What kind of lighting counts as prohibited direct glare?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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