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

San Ramon's outdoor lighting standards in the Development Code require that light fixtures on residential, commercial, and industrial properties be shielded to prevent direct glare onto neighboring properties and into the night sky. Residential standards generally require: fixtures mounted at reasonable height, full-cutoff or shielded design for high-intensity sources, use of motion sensors and timers to avoid dusk-to-dawn operation, and low-glare LED color temperatures (typically 3000K maximum is preferred, though not universally mandated). Commercial and industrial lighting design review evaluates pole heights, fixture types, photometric plans showing 0.0 foot-candles at property lines (or specified maximums), and avoidance of upward-projected light. Wall packs must be shielded. Parking lot lighting should be turned down or off after business hours where feasible. Special standards apply to projects adjacent to the East Bay Regional Park District's Bishop Ranch Regional Preserve and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness to protect wildlife habitat and night sky views. Holiday lighting is generally exempt for a reasonable seasonal period. Sports field lighting at Central Park and school fields operates under time limits to avoid late-night spillover. The Development Code does not fully adopt International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) standards, but many of its provisions align with IDA principles. Violations are addressed as zoning violations through code enforcement, typically starting with a warning and escalating to administrative citations.