Phoenix, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- Full shielding required, most fixture types
- Filtering required
- Metal halide and fluorescent lamps
- Curfew exception
- Auto shutoff, off 11 PM-sunrise
- Banned fixture
- Mercury vapor, since Jan. 1, 1985
- Grandfathered
- Fixtures installed before 1985
Summary
Phoenix requires most outdoor light fixtures to be fully shielded downward, and metal halide or fluorescent fixtures must also be filtered, unless the light auto-shuts off overnight.
Requirements for shielding or filtration. When used for outdoor lighting, shielding or filtration shall be required for the lamp types as set forth in the following table, unless the lighting contains an automatic shutoff device and is not used from 11:00 p.m. until sunrise: +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | Fixture Lamp Type | Shielded | Filtered | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | High pressure sodium | Fully | None | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | Metal halide | Fully | Yes | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | Fluorescent | Fully | Yes | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | Quartz | Fully | None | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | Incandescent greater than 150 watts | Fully | None | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ | Low pressure sodium | None | None | +-------------------------------------+----------+----------+ For the purposes of this article, quartz lamps shall not be considered an incandescent light source.
D. Other restrictions.
1. The installation of mercury vapor fixtures for use as outdoor lighting after January 1, 1985, is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-7524, passed June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 23-100, high pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent, quartz, and incandescent fixtures over 150 watts must be fully shielded so light projects below a horizontal plane at the fixture's lowest point; metal halide and fluorescent must also be filtered through glass, acrylic, or translucent enclosures. The shielding/filtering duty is waived if the fixture has an automatic shutoff and isn't used from 11:00 p.m. until sunrise. Mercury vapor fixtures have been banned outright since January 1, 1985. Fixtures installed before that date are exempt from the article. Additional outdoor lighting standards, including for parking lots and signage, are set in the Zoning Ordinance.
Violations & Fines
No fine amount is codified in § 23-100 itself; enforcement runs through the City's general code-violation process, with the Zoning Ordinance's separate lighting standards enforced by Planning & Development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my porch light need to be shielded in Phoenix?
Can I still use mercury vapor lighting outdoors in Phoenix?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
Compare Phoenix to another location·View the Arizona outdoor lighting overview
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