San Mateo County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Midcoast DR zone only
- Communities covered
- El Granada, Miramar, Moss Beach, Montara
- Core standard
- Light and glare confined to site
- Encouraged
- Low-level lighting directed toward ground
- Enforced via
- Design Review Permit review
Summary
In the unincorporated Midcoast (El Granada, Miramar, Moss Beach, Montara), county design review rules require new home exterior lighting to be directed away from neighbors and confined to the site.
b. All exterior, landscape and site lighting shall be designed and located so that light and glare are directed away from neighbors and confined to the site. Low-level lighting directed toward the ground is encouraged.
c. Exterior lighting should be minimized and designed with a specific activity in mind so that outdoor areas will be illuminated no more than is necessary to support the activity designated for that area.
d. Minimize light and glare as viewed from scenic corridors and other public view corridors.
5. Noise
Discussion: Unwanted noise impacting neighboring properties can be avoided through proper placement and design of new homes, residential additions and ancillary equipment. For example, outdoor activity spaces should be located away from neighbor's bedrooms. Ancillary equipment, for example irrigation systems, pool equipment, generators and the like, should be located away from neighbors and be as quiet as possible. Walls, fences, and landscaping can also be used to buffer sound between neighboring properties.
Please note that all land uses shall conform to the County Noise Ordinance, administered by the Environmental Health Division. The Noise Ordinance limits unusually loud, uncommon noise that would disturb the neighborhood peace.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
San Mateo County's Design Review standards for one- and two-family homes in the urban Midcoast require that all exterior, landscape and site lighting be designed and located so light and glare are directed away from neighbors and confined to the site, with low-level, ground-directed lighting encouraged. The standard is applied by the Design Review Administrator or Coastside Design Review Committee when reviewing a project's lighting plan under Chapter 8.256. This rule applies only in Design Review (DR) zoned parcels in the Midcoast; it is not a countywide lighting ordinance and does not reach the many incorporated cities on the peninsula.
Violations & Fines
Design Review Permit applications with lighting plans that don't confine glare to the site can be conditioned, revised or denied by the Design Review Administrator or Committee before building permits issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this lighting rule apply countywide?
What lighting is required for a new Midcoast home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Mateo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Mateo County to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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