Shasta County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code Section 17.84.050
- Core rule
- Confine direct lighting to the premises
- Traffic hazard lighting
- Prohibited outright
- Applies to
- All zone districts, exterior and interior fixtures
- Enforcement
- Code enforcement complaint or permit review
Summary
All exterior and interior lighting in unincorporated Shasta County must be designed and aimed to stay on the property where it is installed. A fixture cannot shine directly onto another surface, and lighting that endangers drivers on private property or abutting streets is prohibited outright.
17.84.050 - Lighting. All lighting, exterior and interior, shall be designed and located so as to confine direct lighting to the premises. A light source shall not shine upon or illuminate directly on any surface other than the area required to be lighted. No lighting shall be of the type or in a location such that constitutes a hazard to vehicular traffic, either on private property or on abutting streets.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
84, governs light trespass for every zone district in the county. " The second sentence bars a light source from shining upon or illuminating directly any surface other than the area it is meant to light, meaning a homeowner's floodlight or a commercial parking lot fixture cannot be aimed to spill onto a neighbor's yard, window, or an adjoining business. A third clause targets safety: no lighting can be of a type or in a location that creates a hazard to vehicular traffic, whether on the lit property itself or on an abutting public street.
050 as a condition of the zoning or use permit for that district. 010(M). There is no numeric footcandle limit or curfew in the text: the standard is a performance-based confinement-to-premises rule enforced case by case against complaints or during permit review, rather than a lumen or shielding specification.
Violations & Fines
A lighting installation that spills onto a neighboring parcel or creates a traffic hazard is a zoning code violation subject to the county's standard code enforcement process, including a notice to correct and, if uncorrected, potential misdemeanor or infraction citation and civil penalties. Because lighting compliance is also a permit condition under Section 17.84.010(M), noncompliant lighting discovered during construction can hold up final inspection or a certificate of occupancy until it is redirected or shielded to stop the trespass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Shasta County property owner point floodlights at a neighbor's yard?
Does Shasta County set a maximum brightness for outdoor lights?
Is outdoor lighting checked when a new commercial or residential project is permitted?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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