Temecula, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance citation
- Section 8.12.020(A)
- Incorporated ordinance
- Riverside County Ordinance No. 655
- SB 9 developments
- Lighting must be shielded, facing downward
- Up-lighting
- Prohibited outright for SB 9 units
- Hillside zone cap
- 250 lumens at property line
- Max civil penalty
- $2,500/day, $100,000/year per parcel
Summary
Temecula treats a violation of Riverside County's Palomar Observatory light pollution ordinance as a citywide public nuisance under Section 8.12.020, protecting dark skies near the Palomar Observatory. New residential development under the city's SB 9 two-unit rules must also shield all exterior lighting and point it downward, with no up-lighting allowed.
It is unlawful and it is declared to be a public nuisance for any person owning, leasing, occupying or have charge or control of any property within the city, to maintain such property or cause such property to be maintained in a manner that any of the following conditions are found to exist: A. Any violation of any provision of the Temecula Municipal Code or any ordinance of the county of Riverside adopted by reference by the city, including but not limited to Riverside County Ordinance No. 655 relating to the regulation of light pollution; ... 9. Lighting. All exterior lighting shall be fully shielded and facing downward to prevent light pollution on adjacent properties and shall be in compliance with Riverside County Ordinance No. 655 (Palomar Observatory Light Pollution Ordinance). No up lighting of any kind or intensity is permitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862229; v11 updated 2026-04-14).
Full Breakdown
020(A) of the Nuisances chapter declares it unlawful, and a public nuisance, for any property owner to maintain property in violation of 'any ordinance of the county of Riverside adopted by reference by the city, including but not limited to Riverside County Ordinance No. ' Ordinance No. 655 is the Palomar Observatory Light Pollution Ordinance, adopted regionally to protect the dark skies needed for astronomical research at the Palomar Observatory near Temecula, and the city enforces it as its own code by folding it into the general nuisance definition rather than rewriting separate lighting rules chapter by chapter.
120(E)(9), governing SB 9 two-unit developments, requires that 'all exterior lighting shall be fully shielded and facing downward to prevent light pollution on adjacent properties and shall be in compliance with Riverside County Ordinance No. 080 layers on its own exterior lighting plan requirement, capping site lighting intensity at 250 lumens measured at any property line and barring decorative wall lighting and any lighting of tennis or sport courts. 020 public nuisance regardless of which chapter first imposed the underlying lighting standard.
Violations & Fines
A light pollution nuisance under Section 8.12.020 is processed through the city's code enforcement channels: a Chapter 1.20 misdemeanor citation carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, an infraction with fines stepping up to $100, $200 and $500 for repeat violations, or Chapter 1.24 civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day, capped at $100,000 per parcel annually, until the fixture is shielded or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Temecula have its own dark-sky ordinance?
Can I install an upward-facing landscape light under Temecula's SB 9 rules?
Are there stricter lighting rules for hillside homes in Temecula?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Temecula
California rules heatmap·Compare Temecula to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle dark sky rules.