Calaveras County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Section 17.16.100 of the 2024 Zoning Code adopts dark-sky-oriented standards to minimize light pollution, glare and trespass and to protect the ability to view the night sky in the Sierra foothills. All new or replaced outdoor luminaires must be fully shielded or full cut-off, with limited exceptions: decorative string lights need not be shielded; partially shielded fixtures are allowed if obscured by translucent glass and not exceeding 850 lumens; and unshielded fixtures are allowed only under a porch or roofed area, obscured, and not exceeding 600 lumens. Light at property lines is capped at 0.1 foot-candles (0.25 between abutting commercial/industrial zones). Color temperature is capped at 3,500 Kelvin for general outdoor lighting and 5,000 Kelvin for security lighting. Prohibited fixtures include searchlights and laser lights for advertising, mercury-vapor lights for any purpose, and low-pressure sodium lights in residential and commercial zones. Freestanding light poles are limited to 16 feet within or within 25 feet of a residential zone and 30 feet elsewhere. Nonresidential lighting must use timers, photo-sensors or motion controls. Exemptions include fixtures under 60 lumens (including solar lights), underwater pool lights, temporary seasonal and construction lighting, and temporary agricultural lighting. Permit applications that include outdoor fixtures must submit lighting plans demonstrating compliance, with photometric plans required for larger projects.