Maricopa, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Maricopa's light-trespass controls live in MCC Chapter 18.95 (Lighting). The general requirements direct that all lighting be designed to confine direct rays to the premises or onto adjacent public rights-of-way, which prevents glare and spill onto neighboring lots. To achieve this, all exterior illuminating devices except those exempted must be fully or partially shielded. 'Fully shielded' means fixtures shield light so that rays, whether directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture, are projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest point on the fixture where light is emitted; this cutoff geometry is the primary tool for stopping horizontal light trespass. The chapter pairs these shielding rules with functional minimums and maximums (for example, parking-area illumination averaging between 1.0 and 5.0 foot-candles) so that lighting is adequate but not excessive. Property owners experiencing a neighbor's light spilling onto their yard or into windows can reference these standards when contacting Code Enforcement. Because Chapter 18.95 is primarily a development/zoning lighting standard, single-family retrofit situations may depend on when the lighting was installed; confirm applicability and the complaint process with Development Services and Code Enforcement.