Beaumont, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Beaumont Municipal Code § 8.50.020 defines "light trespass" as any artificial light or glare from a light fixture onto neighboring property that interferes with viewing of the night sky, eliminates the ability to have darkness on the adjacent property, or shines into neighboring windows, properties or structures. "Nuisance lighting" is defined to include glare, sky glow, light pollution and light trespass. The chapter's stated purpose in § 8.50.010 includes reducing lighting practices that cause unnecessary illumination of adjacent properties.

The code measures trespass with a low-tech test instead of a meter. A standard yardstick three feet long and 1.5 inches wide is placed at the complainant's property line nearest the light source. The Planning Director or a designee then determines whether the light source casts a shadow of the yardstick onto a plain white paper. The light source, yardstick and shadow must be in alignment. No measurement is taken when there is a moon in the night sky.

Several other provisions in Chapter 8.50 target trespass directly. Section 8.50.040 prohibits, in all Lighting Zones, fixtures aimed only towards a property line or mounted to illuminate a wall, building facade, roof or awning, unless a special event permit or Conditional Use Permit applies. Motion detector lights are exempt under § 8.50.050.7 only if there is no light trespass and the fixtures are within five feet of an entrance or exit door or alcove, no more than eight feet above the ground, limited to two bulbs of no more than 75 watts each, on for no more than ten minutes after a trigger, and cannot be triggered from more than 30 feet away.

Pole-mounted lights cannot exceed 40 percent of the distance from the pole to the property line. Applicants for a Minor Plot Plan in the Special Use Zone have to include measures to mitigate light trespass and artificial sky glow (§ 8.50.080.2). Where a nonconforming fixture causes trespass, the Planning Director can require that the light be shielded, filtered, redirected, replaced with a less intense source, removed or a combination of these, and the owner can apply for a variance instead (§§ 8.50.060.5 and 8.50.070.6).