San Clemente, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

130 sets a single, citywide performance standard for exterior lighting rather than a district-by-district table. Fixtures have to be energy-efficient, and shielded or recessed so that direct glare and reflected light stay within the boundaries of the parcel where the light is installed. Light also has to be directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way, which functions as San Clemente's dark-sky rule for private development: it targets light trespass onto a neighbor's yard or the street rather than banning outdoor lighting outright.

The code separately bans lighting that blinks, flashes, or is of unusually high intensity or brightness, closing off flashing signage-style fixtures and overly bright security floodlights alike. Fixtures also have to be appropriate in scale, intensity and height for the use they serve, so a small residential yard light and a large commercial parking lot fixture are not held to an identical standard. The section does carve out one mandatory use: security lighting must be provided at all entrances and exits, so the shielding and glare rules operate as limits on how that lighting is aimed and built, not as a reason to skip it. 24 site standards, including trash enclosures and equipment screening on the same parcel.