Riverside, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Max color temperature
- 3,000 Kelvin
- Zone 1 light trespass cap
- 0.1 footcandle at property line
- Zone 3 light trespass cap
- 0.5 footcandle at property line
- Zone 1 unshielded lighting
- 1 fixture, 300 lumens/residence
- Max luminaire brightness
- 500,000 peak candelas / 50,000 lumens
- Temporary lighting exemption
- Up to 45 days
Summary
Riverside's Outdoor Lighting chapter caps brightness, mounting height and light trespass to keep the night sky dark near Mount Palomar Observatory while still allowing safety lighting. Chapter 19.556 bans flashing or color-changing fixtures, limits lumens per residence by zone, and requires design review submittal for new or modified lighting.
This chapter sets forth standards to ensure that outdoor lighting is adequate for safety, security and commerce while preserving the naturally dark night sky by mitigating artificial sky glow and preventing glare and light trespass. ... A.The following types of lighting are prohibited unless in conjunction with the exemptions provided in Section 19.556.040:1.Dynamic lighting, such as moving lights, color changing lighting, or digital LED panels that flash, chase, change color, or changes intensity for any purpose other than serving as a traffic signal, safety light, or aviation or marine marker.2.Luminaires exceeding 500,000 peak candelas or 50,000 lumens3.Aerial laser lighting.4.Lighting within Lighting Zone 0 except as permitted by Title 24, Part 6, Section 140.7.5.Sport facility lighting.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
010 sets the purpose as balancing adequate lighting for safety and commerce against preserving the naturally dark night sky by mitigating artificial sky glow, glare and light trespass. Four lighting zones apply citywide: Zone 0 covers undeveloped parks and wildlife preserves; Zone 1 covers developed parks and the area within the Mt. 060). A caps unshielded/decorative residential lighting at one fixture and 300 lumens per residence in Zone 1, rising to two fixtures/1,000 lumens total in Zone 2 and three fixtures/2,000 lumens in Zone 3, with luminaire mounting height capped between 8 and 25 feet depending on zone.
5 in Zone 3, with zero trespass allowed into Zone 0. Correlated color temperature can't exceed 3,000 Kelvin, and fixtures must be hooded or shielded to face downward. 050 flatly bans dynamic (flashing, color-changing) lighting outside of traffic/safety/marine uses, luminaires over 500,000 peak candelas or 50,000 lumens, aerial laser lighting, sport facility lighting, and any lighting in Zone 0 beyond what Title 24 allows. 040).
Violations & Fines
Outdoor lighting that exceeds the lumens, height or trespass limits in Table 19.556.080, or that uses a prohibited fixture type under Section 19.556.050, can't clear the design review submittal required by Section 19.556.070 and is a Zoning Code violation subject to code enforcement requiring shielding, retrofit or removal. Any permit issued for a lighting installation that conflicts with Chapter 19.556 is void and without effect under Section 19.090.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Riverside limit how bright outdoor lights can be at my house?
What counts as 'light trespass' under the ordinance?
Are flashing or colored outdoor lights allowed in Riverside?
Do I need city approval before installing new outdoor lighting?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle light trespass & shielding.