San Jose, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- No glare causing unreasonable annoyance
- Fixture height near homes
- 8 ft unless setback is 2x height
- Max ground-mounted fixture
- 25 feet
- Applies to
- Commercial and PQP districts only
- Code section
- SJMC § 20.40.540
Summary
Commercial and public/quasi-public lighting next to residential property must be shielded so light reflects away from the residence and causes no glare or unreasonable annoyance.
Any and all lighting facilities hereafter erected, constructed, or used in connection with any use conducted on any property situate adjacent to a site or lot used for residential purposes shall be arranged and shielded that all light will be reflected away from any residential use so that there will be no glare which will cause unreasonable annoyance to occupants of such property, or otherwise interfere with the public health, safety, or welfare.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
San Jose Municipal Code § 20.40.540 requires that any lighting facility built or used on property adjacent to a residentially used site be arranged and shielded so all light is reflected away from the residential use, producing no glare that causes unreasonable annoyance or interferes with public health, safety, or welfare. A companion rule at § 20.40.530 caps light fixture height at 8 feet near residential uses (unless the setback from the property line is twice the fixture height) and bars ground-mounted fixtures over 25 feet. Both sit in Chapter 20.40, the commercial and PQP district rules, so they bind commercial, office, and public/quasi-public properties that sit next to homes, not residential-to-residential lighting.
Violations & Fines
The Planning Division enforces shielding and glare complaints as a zoning code violation, typically triggered by a neighbor complaint about a commercial property's lighting; the code does not list a fixed fine schedule, so remedies run through the city's standard zoning enforcement and abatement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to a neighbor's residential floodlight?
How tall can a commercial light pole be next to my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jose
California rules heatmap·Compare San Jose to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle light trespass & shielding.