Buckeye, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Off-site spillover cap
- 1 footcandle max
- Aiming requirement
- confined to property boundaries
- Shield required
- within 50 ft of homes
- External shield finish
- painted black
Summary
Buckeye's Development Code caps how much outdoor light can spill onto a neighbor's property, limiting off-site illumination to one footcandle and requiring shields near homes and public rights-of-way.
E.Light Trespass Standard.1.All light fixtures must be located, aimed, and shielded so that the direct illumination from the fixture is confined to the property boundaries of the source.2.Unless otherwise provided in this Section, exterior lighting must not add more than one footcandle to illumination levels at any point off-site.3.Any light fixture located within 50 feet of a residential zoning district or public ROW must utilize an internal or external shield, with the light fixture and shield oriented to minimize light trespass onto any adjacent property or ROW line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 5.11.3.E of the Development Code sets a hard light-trespass ceiling: every fixture must be located, aimed, and shielded so its direct illumination stays inside the source property's boundaries, and exterior lighting citywide may not add more than one footcandle of illumination at any point off-site. Any fixture within 50 feet of a residential zoning district or a public right-of-way must carry an internal or external shield oriented to keep glare off the neighboring property or ROW, and any external shield must be painted black to stop reflected light from crossing the line.
Violations & Fines
Fixtures that spill more than one footcandle onto neighboring land, or lack the required shield within 50 feet of a home or ROW, must be corrected through the city's development-review and code-enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can cross into my neighbor's yard?
What if my light sits near a house next door?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Buckeye
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
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