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

040(A) sets the citywide baseline for site and parking lighting outside the low-density residential zones. Fixtures serving uncovered parking areas, vehicle accessways and walkways cannot rise above 16 feet, measured from the paved surface to the top of the light standard including the globe. For parking structures, the rule gets specific: rooftop lighting must be designed and installed to preclude light trespass, defined in the code as intensity exceeding one-half foot-candle measured at the property line with a light meter held four feet above ground, aimed at the light source.

120. Inside the P overlay zone, headlight glare must be shielded from every surrounding residential property, and site lighting overall has to meet California's Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. Two related subsections round out the chapter: subsection B directs CE zone lighting onto driveways, walkways and public areas and away from surrounding properties, and subsection C bans flashing, shimmering or flickering light visible off site in the IND zone. Community Development staff check photometric and fixture plans against these limits during development plan review before issuing building permits, and a light meter reading above the half-foot-candle threshold at a shared property line is the field test code enforcement officers use to confirm a light-trespass complaint from a neighboring owner.