Alpine County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

There is no dedicated light-trespass standard in Alpine County's code. A review of the zoning General Requirements and Exceptions (Chapter 18.68) found no provisions limiting glare, light spillover onto adjacent property, or requiring shielded or downcast fixtures, and the General Plan Land Use Element contains no such policy either. As a result, the county does not set a numeric limit on how much light may cross a property line. Exterior lighting is instead reviewed when a project is permitted: the Planning Division's plan-set submittal requirements call for lighting fixtures to be shown on building elevations, and projects in the Markleeville Townsite undergo design review under Chapter 18.56 and the Markleeville Design Guidelines, where lighting can be conditioned. The sign ordinance (Chapter 18.74) restricts sign illumination and bans flashing and animated signs, which addresses one common source of off-site light. Where a neighbor's lighting causes a genuine nuisance, the typical remedy in an unincorporated California county without a lighting code is a private nuisance claim under California Civil Code Section 3479, rather than a county lighting citation. Residents concerned about a specific light should first contact the Community Development Department to see whether any project condition applies.