Sonoma, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SMC 19.40.030(A), (B), (E)
- Applies to
- Both discretionary and ministerial projects
- Max fixture height
- 15 feet
- Nighttime timer window
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily
- Parking lot light level
- 2 to 5 footcandles
- Pedestrian walkway cap
- 1 footcandle at ground surface
Summary
SMC 19.40.030 requires every exterior lighting fixture in a City of Sonoma development to be energy efficient, shielded, and capped at 15 feet, and mandates timers that cut lighting back at night specifically when nocturnal animals and insects are active. The rule applies to both discretionary and ministerial projects citywide.
A. Exterior Fixtures. Lighting fixtures shall be energy efficient. Pole-mounted fixtures shall be low in height (up to 15 feet) and shall be equipped with light shields to eliminate light spillage beyond the project’s boundaries. ... Light schedules, programs and timers: Lights shall have timers that reduce or turn off the light fixture or fixtures when businesses are closed, residents are not commonly active, and when nocturnal animals and insects are commonly active, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every day. ... E. Height. ... Light standards shall not exceed 15 feet in height.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
030 opens by stating it applies to both discretionary and ministerial projects, so the lighting standards are not limited to projects that go through planning commission review. Subsection (A) requires exterior fixtures to be energy efficient and keeps pole-mounted fixtures low, up to 15 feet, equipped with light shields to eliminate spillage beyond the project boundary; subsection (E) repeats the 15-foot cap for light standards generally. Subsection (B) sets specific footcandle ceilings by use: parking lots must fall between two and five footcandles at the ground or wall surface, pedestrian courts, plazas, and walkways cap out at one footcandle, and building-mounted lights cannot exceed five footcandles measured five feet from the source.
every day. Subsection (C) requires minimum security lighting of two to three footcandles at nonresidential building entrances and exits, so the timer requirement is not read to eliminate needed safety lighting. on weekends.
Violations & Fines
An installed lighting system that runs without the required shields, exceeds the 15-foot fixture height, or lacks the mandated nighttime timer is a development code violation subject to SMC 19.90.040: the city planner can issue a notice of violation and a stop-work order, and continued noncompliance is chargeable as a misdemeanor with abatement costs recoverable from the property owner under SMC 19.90.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sonoma require lights to dim or shut off at night?
How tall can an outdoor light pole be in the City of Sonoma?
Do these lighting rules apply to a project that doesn't need a discretionary permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle dark sky rules.