Queen Creek, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 5.5.E
- High-output threshold
- Over 1,800 lumens (900 flood/spot)
- Maximum mounting height
- 25 feet
- Amenity-area lighting setback
- 15 feet from property line
- First offense fine
- $250
Summary
Queen Creek's Zoning Ordinance controls light spilling onto neighboring land through Section 5.5.E. Any luminaire rated above 1,800 lumens, or any flood or spot light above 900 lumens, cannot cast direct light above the horizontal plane, and lower-lumen fixtures aimed at a neighbor's home or at drivers on public streets must be redirected or dimmed to stop the glare.
1. Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 1,800 lumens and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 900 lumens shall not emit any direct light above a horizontal plane through the lowest direct light emitting part of the luminaire. ... 3. Exceptions. a. Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of 1,800 lumens or less and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at 900 lumens or ... less may be used without restriction to light distribution or mounting height except that if any spot or flood luminaire rated 900 lumens or less is aimed, directed or focused such as to cause direct light from the luminaire to be directed toward residential buildings on adjacent or nearby land or to create glare perceptible to persons operating motor vehicles on public ways, the luminaire shall be re-directed or its light output controlled as necessary to eliminate such conditions.
Full Breakdown
F. Any luminaire rated at more than 1,800 lumens, and any flood or spot luminaire rated above 900 lumens, cannot emit direct light above a horizontal plane drawn through the lowest light-emitting part of the fixture, and its mounting height is tied to the fixture's distance from the nearest property line with a hard ceiling of twenty-five feet. a still reaches them if they cause a problem: if a spot or flood luminaire rated 900 lumens or less is aimed, directed or focused so that it throws direct light toward a residential building on adjacent or nearby land, or creates glare that reaches drivers on public roads, the fixture must be redirected or its output controlled to eliminate the condition.
Roadway lighting up to twenty-five feet is allowed at the edge of a bordering property, and temporary emergency lighting used by police, fire or other emergency services, along with vehicle-mounted lights, is exempt outright. J layers on additional limits for outdoor amenity lighting within one hundred feet of a residential property line, capping fixture height there at fifteen feet and requiring a minimum fifteen-foot setback from every property line, with a Lighting Plan and photometric diagram submitted at the Site Plan or Preliminary Plat stage.
Violations & Fines
A luminaire that throws direct light onto a neighbor's residence, exceeds the horizontal-plane and mounting-height limits of Section 5.5.E, or ignores a directive to redirect or dim a fixture is a Zoning Ordinance violation subject to the Section 2.6.H.1 civil penalty schedule: $250.00 for a first offense, $500.00 for a second within twelve months, and $2,000.00 for a third, each day of continued violation counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
My neighbor's floodlight shines into my yard at night, is that against the rules?
How high can a bright parking lot light be mounted near my property?
Are police and fire lights exempt from the glare rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Queen Creek
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