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

Section 41-885 lets large freeway-fronting sites -- regional commercial centers of 15-plus acres, auto dealerships, museums or similarly sized institutions -- apply for a Regional Planned Sign Program that can include electronic message displays, but subsection (e) builds in specific light-pollution safeguards before the Planning Commission can approve one. No electronic message display may sit within 300 feet of property zoned or used for residential purposes, measured from the face of the display to the nearest residential property line. 3 foot-candles over ambient light levels, and must include a means of reducing light levels on request by the City and of limiting excessive light or glare, backed by automatic dimming capability.

No display may sit on a ground sign within 50 feet of a traffic signal, and screen transitions can't simulate movement or use flashing or intermittent lighting -- each sign copy must display for a minimum of eight seconds. The property owner also has to give the City and the public a 24/7 emergency contact number and email for complaints. These conditions matter because subsection (c) requires all signage under a Regional Planned Sign Program to protect the health, safety and welfare of nearby residents and workers, making the residential light-trespass limits a stated purpose of the program rather than an incidental detail.