Pleasanton, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Pleasanton does not have a code section setting a measurable light-trespass limit (such as a maximum foot-candle reading at a property line) that applies to existing single-family homes. Instead, glare and spillover from new development are controlled at the design-review stage under PMC Chapter 18.20, where the city can impose conditions requiring lighting to be directed away from adjacent properties and to avoid creating glare; the code expressly contemplates conditioning facilities so they create no glare and adding mitigation if glare appears after installation. For accessory dwelling units, the adopted standards in PMC 18.106 require exterior lighting to be shielded, directed downward, and placed only at exterior doors and along the path of travel from the public right-of-way, which directly reduces light trespass onto neighbors. Where a homeowner's existing floodlight or landscape lighting shines into an adjoining residence, there is no dedicated Pleasanton ordinance to cite; the remedy is generally California nuisance law (Civil Code Section 3479), which treats anything that interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of property as a nuisance, alongside any applicable Title 24 controls. Residents are encouraged to resolve glare neighbor-to-neighbor first - re-aiming or shielding the fixture - before pursuing code enforcement or a civil claim.