Queen Creek, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 5.5
- Banned fixture type
- Mercury vapor, outright prohibited
- Spacing-to-height ratio cap
- 4:1 maximum
- Grandfathered fixtures
- Installed before Jan. 1, 1985
- Recreational lighting curfew
- 11:00 p.m. without CUP
- Authorizing state statute
- A.R.S. § 49-1106
Summary
Queen Creek's Zoning Ordinance regulates outdoor lighting under Section 5.5 to protect the night sky, astronomical observations and neighboring properties from glare. Fixtures must match the shielding and filtration classes set in Table 5.5-1, and mercury vapor fixtures are banned outright, while any other fixture type that skips the required shielding is likewise prohibited townwide.
F. Prohibitions. 1. Mercury Vapor Fixtures and Lamps. The installation of any mercury vapor fixture or lamp for use as outdoor lighting is prohibited. 2. Certain Other Fixtures and Lamps. The installation of any low pressure sodium, high pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent, quartz or incandescent outdoor lighting fixture or lamp that does not comply with the shielding requirements of Table 5.5-1 and the illumination standards of Table 5.5-2 is prohibited.
Full Breakdown
S. Section 49-1106, sets Queen Creek's outdoor lighting standards to curb light pollution and protect nighttime astronomical viewing. 5-2. 2 footcandles where a non-residential property adjoins a residential district along a local street. 5-1 to carry matching shielding and filtration, caps the spacing-to-mounting-height ratio at four to one, and requires poles to be anodized or otherwise coated to cut glare. G exempts fixtures installed before January 1, 1985 that carry a permanent automatic shut-off, low-lumen fixtures under 1,000 candelas on an automatic shutoff, fossil-fuel light, and vehicular and emergency-service lighting used by police or fire.
except under a Town Council conditional use permit or to finish an event already underway, and rodeo or roping arenas may light up to thirty feet high if they meet the shielding and filtration rules.
Violations & Fines
An outdoor lighting fixture installed in violation of Section 5.5, such as an unshielded mercury vapor lamp or a fixture that misses the Table 5.5-1 shielding or Table 5.5-2 illumination limits, is a Zoning Ordinance violation under the Section 2.6 enforcement scheme: a $250.00 civil penalty for a first offense, $500.00 for a second offense within twelve months, and $2,000.00 for a third, with each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install mercury vapor lights on my Queen Creek property?
How bright can outdoor lighting be at my property line?
Are older lights grandfathered under the dark-sky rules?
Can a sports field stay lit late at night in Queen Creek?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Queen Creek
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