Santa Barbara County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Santa Barbara County Code Sec. 35-139
- Core standard
- Hooded fixtures, no beam onto residential/habitat land
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Coastal Zone only
- Overlay add-ons
- Summerland, Goleta/EGV, Montecito, Gaviota Coast
- Infraction fines
- $100 first, $200 second, $500 further
- Misdemeanor penalty
- $500-$25,000 fine or up to 6 months jail
- Enforcing agency
- Planning and Development Department
Summary
Within Santa Barbara County's unincorporated Coastal Zone, County Code Sec. 35-139 requires every exterior light fixture to be hooded and bars any unobstructed beam from shining onto a residentially zoned or developed property or an environmentally sensitive habitat area. Four community plan overlays, Summerland, Goleta/Eastern Goleta Valley, Montecito and Gaviota Coast, add stricter shielding and curfew standards on top of this countywide baseline.
All exterior lighting shall be hooded and no unobstructed beam of exterior lighting shall be directed toward any area zoned or developed residential, or toward any environmentally sensitive habitat area. No lighting shall be so designed as to interfere with vehicular traffic at any portion of a street. Division 13 (Summerland Community Plan Overlay), Division 14 (Goleta Community Plan and Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan Overlay Districts), Division 16 (Montecito Community Plan Overlay District), and Division 17 (Gaviota Coast Plan Overlay) include additional requirements.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
' The section also bars any exterior fixture from interfering with vehicular traffic on a street. Because this sits inside the Coastal Zoning Ordinance, it does not reach the incorporated cities of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria or Buellton, each of which enforces its own lighting code, and any new outdoor fixture in the Coastal Zone still needs a Coastal Development Permit under Section 35-169. The code's own glossary (Sec. 35-58) defines light trespass as 'Artificial light that produces unnecessary and/or unwanted illumination offsite including skyward or on a sensitive habitat,' and distinguishes fully shielded, partially shielded and unshielded fixtures.
Four community plan overlays layer stricter rules onto Sec. 35-139: the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan Area (Sec. and sunrise except while the business is open. Fixtures installed before that date are grandfathered out of the shielding mandate but still must meet the other standards. The Summerland, Montecito and Gaviota Coast overlays (Divisions 13, 16 and 17) impose comparable added requirements reviewed by the Planning and Development Department and the applicable Board of Architectural Review.
Violations & Fines
A light trespass violation is enforced under Section 35-185.5 (Cumulative Remedies and Penalties) of the Coastal Zoning Ordinance. A first infraction draws a fine up to $100, a second within a year up to $200, and each further violation up to $500. Repeat offenders can be charged as a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 to $25,000, up to six months in County jail, or both. The County may also seek a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per day the violation continues, plus injunctive relief and abatement through County Counsel or the District Attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the county's light trespass rule apply inside the city of Santa Barbara?
What exactly counts as light trespass under the county code?
Do all outdoor lights in the unincorporated area have to be fully shielded?
What happens if a property owner ignores the lighting standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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