Monterey County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Monterey County protects the night sky chiefly through General Plan Policy LU-1.13 and the related Design Guidelines for Exterior Lighting. Policy LU-1.13 requires that all exterior lighting shall be unobtrusive and constructed or located so that only the intended area is illuminated, long-range visibility of the lighting source is reduced, and off-site glare is fully controlled. Title 21, Chapter 21.63 (Design Guidelines) authorizes the Board of Supervisors to adopt design guidelines for exterior lighting that establish criteria for the location, direction, number and design of fixtures so that lighting is unobtrusive, reduces off-site glare, and lights only the intended area. These guidelines are intended to preserve the county's environmental and visual resources, including views of the night sky, sensitive public viewsheds and natural landscapes, and they address energy efficiency and best management practices. In practice, county planners apply LU-1.13 during project review - for example, requiring warm-LED, downlit, International Dark-Sky Association-compliant fixtures in visually sensitive areas. Monterey County does not impose a single numeric lumen cap countywide; compliance is determined through these design standards and project-specific conditions.