El Paso, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Trespass limit
- 0.25 footcandle (2.5 lux) at residential lot line
- Measurement height
- 5 feet above grade
- Abatement notice period
- 90 days after written notice
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 per day, each day separate offense
- Enforcing agency
- City building official ("director")
- Appeal path
- City appeals officer, § 18.18.380
Summary
El Paso's Outdoor Lighting Code caps light spilling onto a neighbor's yard at 0.25 footcandles measured at the residential property line, five feet above grade. If the building official finds a fixture throwing glare onto a home, the owner gets written notice and ninety days to redirect or shield it, or face a misdemeanor citation.
A. If after complaint and investigation, the director finds that a light fixture directs light toward residential buildings, the director shall give written notice of such violation to the owner and/or to the occupant of such premises demanding that the violation be abated within ninety days of the date of written notice. B. Light trespass onto residential property from lighting shall be remedied by redirecting the light fixture or by controlling the light output as necessary. C. Light levels shall not exceed a maximum of 0.25 footcandles (2.5 lux) at the property line of any residential property at a vertical point five feet above grade.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 18.18, the Outdoor Lighting Code, gives the city's building official ("the director" under § 18.02.101.4) authority to investigate light-trespass complaints under El Paso City Code § 18.18.270. Once a complaint is filed and the director confirms a fixture directs light toward a residential building, the owner or occupant receives written notice demanding abatement within ninety days. The remedy is specific: redirect the fixture or throttle its output until light levels at the residential property line, measured at a vertical point five feet above grade, no longer exceed 0.25 footcandles (2.5 lux).
Measurements must be taken with a calibrated cosine- and color-corrected meter accurate to within five percent at one lux, using a 4.5-inch black tube baffle over the sensor to block stray light from unrelated sources (§ 18.18.270(E)-(F)); if the residential lot itself can't be accessed, the reading may instead be taken at the public right-of-way or an adjacent property line. This trespass standard sits alongside the chapter's separate general standard at § 18.18.100, which requires every fixture to be aimed or shielded to minimize stray light across residential boundaries and bars any lamp in lighting zone E1 from being directly visible from another residential lot.
Anyone cited who disagrees with the director's finding can appeal to the city's appeals officer under § 18.18.380. Ignoring the ninety-day abatement notice exposes the property owner to prosecution under § 18.18.400, and every day the violation continues after the deadline counts as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Failing to correct a light-trespass violation after the ninety-day written notice is a misdemeanor under El Paso City Code § 18.18.400, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. The building official enforces the standard; property owners may appeal an adverse finding to the city's appeals officer under § 18.18.380 before penalties attach.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a neighbor's light be at my property line in El Paso?
What happens after I complain about a neighbor's light shining into my yard?
Can I dispute a light-trespass violation notice in El Paso?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
Texas rules heatmap·Compare El Paso to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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