Rocklin, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Rocklin does not have a single citywide light-trespass ordinance; instead, its two commercial overlay zones each carry their own exterior lighting standard aimed at keeping glare off neighboring properties. In the Automotive Overlay zone, which covers auto, boat, RV, and motorcycle dealerships and related uses, § 17.57.070(D) requires lighting to illuminate parking, loading, and working areas for security while being designed to avoid adverse off-site glare on adjacent properties or public roadways, specifying that the type, style, and mounting system of the fixtures must ensure no off-site glare results.

That same subsection caps the height of building-mounted and freestanding light fixtures at twenty feet, unless the fixture is integrated into the building's architecture, signage, or other design features and the applicant can demonstrate it still won't produce off-site glare. In the Business Attraction, Retention, and Revitalization Overlay (BARRO) zone, which allows mixed residential and commercial development in Rocklin's older commercial districts along Pacific Street, Rocklin Road, Sunset Boulevard, and Granite Drive, § 17.59.060(D)(3)(a) requires all outdoor lighting associated with commercial uses to be designed so it does not substantially and adversely impact surrounding residential uses, while still providing enough illumination for access and security; the fixtures may not blink, flash, oscillate, or be of unusually high intensity or brightness.

Both standards are reviewed by the community development director as part of the design review approval each overlay zone requires before a project can be built, and a project that produces off-site glare in violation of these standards can be denied approval or required to modify its lighting plan.