Courtland, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Sacramento County controls light trespass through use-specific lighting standards in its Zoning Code rather than a single light-trespass ordinance. For multifamily housing, the development standards (Section 5.4.3) require lighting to be 'constructed with full shielding and/or recessed to reduce light trespass to adjoining properties,' with each fixture 'directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public right-of-way, so that no light fixture directly illuminates an area outside of the site, and the light source is not visible from residential properties.' New fixtures must be full cut-off as defined by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. The parking-area lighting standard, Section 5.9.4.G, repeats this language and notably states the standard 'shall apply to existing businesses,' giving the county authority to require retrofits where commercial lighting spills onto neighbors. Subdivision standards similarly require lighting to be directed away from adjacent areas to minimize light pollution caused by glare or spillage into neighboring properties. For single-family residential properties, there is no specific fixture requirement, so a neighbor's glaring floodlight is generally addressed under nuisance and code-enforcement principles rather than a dedicated lighting section. The county's clear off-site illumination prohibition for regulated uses provides a strong basis for resolving trespass complaints from apartments, businesses, and parking lots.