Sahuarita, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Sahuarita has adopted outdoor lighting standards consistent with Pima County dark sky regulations and the International Dark-Sky Association guidelines. Southern Arizona is home to some of the premier astronomical observatories in the world, including Kitt Peak National Observatory located approximately 50 miles west of Sahuarita. Protecting the dark sky environment is a regional priority. All new and replacement outdoor lighting fixtures in Sahuarita must be fully shielded (full cutoff), meaning the light source is not visible below the horizontal plane of the fixture and all light is directed downward. Upward-directed lighting, including decorative uplights on buildings and landscape uplighting on trees, is prohibited or severely restricted. Maximum illumination levels at the property line are limited to prevent light trespass onto neighboring properties. Mercury vapor and most metal halide fixtures are prohibited. Warm-spectrum LED fixtures (3000K or lower color temperature) are preferred because cooler-spectrum light scatters more in the atmosphere and creates more sky glow. Rancho Sahuarita developer lighting plans were designed to comply with dark sky standards, and replacement fixtures in the community must meet the same requirements. Residents converting outdoor lighting should choose fixtures marked as dark-sky compliant or IDA-approved. Holiday lighting is temporarily exempt but should be removed within a reasonable period after the holiday.