Hercules, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Glare not visible beyond property line
- Applies to
- All zoning-permitted uses/development
- Mitigation
- Vegetation screening of parking areas
- Mitigation
- Hooded, ground-directed lighting
- Mitigation
- Nonreflective office/R&D windows
- Governing section
- § 13-31.300(9)
Summary
New development in Hercules must control light and glare so it never spills past its own property line. The performance standard, enforced when the City reviews zoning permits, requires site-specific attenuation measures rather than letting parking lot glare or reflective surfaces reach neighboring parcels.
9. Light and Glare. The light and glare potential of uses and new development shall be attenuated on a parcel specific basis, applying the following measures so that glare shall not be visible beyond the property line of the use or development. A. Screening of parking areas by using vegetation or trees. This will reduce the amount of glare generated from painted and chrome automobile surfaces and prevent expanses of stationary and moving automobiles. B. Hooded lights for nighttime illumination should be used for parking areas, shipping and receiving docks and industrial development. C. Nonreflective windows should be used for research and development, and office park developments.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 555, passed March 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
300(9) of the Hercules Municipal Code sets the citywide light and glare standard: the light and glare potential of any use or new development must be attenuated on a parcel-specific basis so that glare is not visible beyond the property line. 200 states the performance standards apply to all uses and development requiring zoning permits and approvals, and no permit can be approved unless the applicable standards are met. To hit that no-visible-glare threshold, the Code lists specific measures the City applies during design review: screening parking areas with vegetation or trees to cut glare from painted and chrome car surfaces, using hooded, ground-directed lighting fixtures for nighttime illumination near parking areas, loading docks, and industrial sites, and specifying nonreflective windows for research and development or office park buildings.
Because the standard is tied to permit approval rather than after-the-fact nuisance complaints, the Community Development Department reviews project plans against it before construction, and a project that cannot demonstrate compliance is either conditioned to add screening and shielding or denied.
Violations & Fines
A use or structure built without meeting the glare-attenuation standard is a Zoning Ordinance violation. Under Section 1-4.01, Code violations are misdemeanors carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail unless classified as an infraction, which escalates from $100 to $200 to $500 for repeat offenses within a year, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The City can also issue an administrative citation under Section 1-4.02 with a 5-to-45-day correction period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a neighbor's parking lot lights shine onto my property in Hercules?
What must developers do to control glare from parking areas?
Does the glare rule apply to office buildings too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hercules
California rules heatmap·Compare Hercules to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Contra Costa County handle light trespass & shielding.