San Diego, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt use
- security, walkways, equipment yards, lots
- Condition
- reduce output after 11pm if practicable
- Still applies
- shield/flat-lens rule §(c)(2)
- Observatory zone
- 4,050 lumens / 2500K cap
Summary
San Diego exempts security lighting for walkways, equipment yards, and parking lots from its 11 p.m. curfew, but only if adequate public-safety lighting is maintained and output is reduced after 11 p.m. where practicable.
Outdoor lighting may remain lighted for commercial and industrial uses that continue to be fully operational after 11:00 P.M. such as sales, assembly, and repair; and for security purposes or to illuminate walkways, roadways, equipment yards, and parking lots subject to the following:
(i) Adequate lighting for public safety shall be maintained. Outdoor lighting shall otherwise be reduced after 11:00 P.M. where practicable.
(ii) Within 30 miles of the Palomar and Mount Laguna observatories, outdoor lighting after 11:00 P.M. shall be limited to a maximum of 4,050 lumens per fixture or a maximum of 2500 Kelvin CCT.
(B) Outdoor lighting for the following is permitted to remain lighted after 11:00 P.M. and is exempt from the maximum Kelvin CCT and maximum lumen requirements specified in Section 142.0740(c)(4) and (c)(5)(A):
(i) Outdoor lighting used to illuminate recreational
Full Breakdown
SDMC §142.0740(c)(5)(A) lets outdoor lighting stay on past the citywide 11 p.m. curfew for commercial and industrial uses still operating, and for security purposes lighting walkways, roadways, equipment yards, and parking lots. The tradeoff: adequate lighting for public safety must be maintained, and the lighting must otherwise be reduced after 11 p.m. where practicable. Security fixtures still have to meet the general shielding and flat-lens rule in §142.0740(c)(2), and within 30 miles of the Palomar/Mount Laguna observatories they're further capped at 4,050 lumens or 2500 Kelvin after 11 p.m.
Violations & Fines
Development Services can cite a security-lighting installation that isn't reduced after 11 p.m. or that skips the required shielding as a zoning code violation, requiring retrofit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep security lights on all night in San Diego?
Do security lights still need to be shielded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Diego County handle light trespass & shielding.