Pleasanton, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Spillover buffer
- 200 ft from property line
- Interior light buffer
- 10 ft from window if visible beyond 200 ft
- Standard used
- Chapter 18.96 sign illumination intensity
- Applies to
- I-P, I-G, L-I districts (§ 18.48.090)
- Similar clauses
- Repeated in A, R-1, RM and C district chapters
Summary
In Pleasanton's industrial districts, exterior lighting within 200 feet of a property line can't exceed the intensity allowed for signs, and no use may create glare or heat detectable beyond its own boundary.
No use except a temporary construction operation shall be permitted which creates changes in temperature or direct or sky reflected glare, detectable by the human senses without the aid of instruments beyond the boundaries of the site. No use shall be permitted which creates electrical disturbances that affect the operation of any equipment beyond the boundaries of the site. No exterior illumination closer than 200 feet to the boundaries of a site or interior illumination closer than 10 feet to a window within 200 feet of the boundary of a site and visible beyond the boundary of a site, whether related to a sign or not, shall exceed the intensity permitted by Chapter 18.96 of this title relating to illumination.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4955754; v17 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
090, in the chapter governing the I-P, I-G and L-I industrial districts, bars any use other than temporary construction from creating changes in temperature or direct or sky-reflected glare that a person can detect without instruments beyond the site's boundaries. 96's sign illumination standards, whether or not the light is tied to a sign. 96 sets those reference limits by district: in A, R, P or S districts illumination must be indirect; in commercial, mixed-use downtown and industrial districts direct illumination is allowed but exterior lighting within 200 feet of a boundary cannot use fluorescent, mercury vapor, or incandescent sources exceeding 120 milliamps if visible past the boundary, and diffused lighting in commercial or industrial districts cannot exceed 200 foot-lamberts of surface brightness if visible beyond the site.
44) as part of each district's general nuisance-prevention clause, so the 200-foot spillover cap functions as a citywide baseline even though it is stated district by district rather than in one dark-sky chapter.
Violations & Fines
A use that creates glare, heat or excess illumination beyond its site is declared a public nuisance under Section 18.140.010; the city attorney can sue to abate, remove or enjoin the violation, and the base penalty runs through Section 1.12.020 of the municipal code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pleasanton have a dark-sky ordinance?
How bright can industrial site lighting be near a boundary?
What happens if a business's lighting spills over the property line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pleasanton
California rules heatmap·Compare Pleasanton 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.
Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle dark sky rules.