Murrieta, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Beyond the Palomar dark-sky rules, Murrieta treats direct light trespass onto neighboring dwellings as a nuisance enforceable under general property-maintenance and nuisance provisions. A typical complaint involves bright security floodlights, landscape uplights, or sport-court lighting aimed in a way that illuminates an adjacent bedroom window or outdoor living area. Resolution usually starts with a code enforcement visit to observe conditions at night, followed by a request that the responsible owner shield, re-aim, or lower the wattage of the offending fixture. The International Dark-Sky Association's definition of full-cutoff fixtures provides a useful compliance standard, and most LED replacements on the market today can be sourced in shielded versions. HOAs frequently add architectural rules requiring fixture approval for anything beyond standard eave-mounted fixtures. Wireless security lights with high-lumen motion beams are a particular source of complaints and may need to be angled downward to limit the illuminated cone to the owner's own property.