Sonoma, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SMC 19.40.030(D) and (F)(6)
- General trespass rule
- Not visible 5+ ft. beyond property line
- Exempt uses
- Single-family homes, traffic and street lighting
- Court light cap at property line
- 1 footcandle, 12 ft. height
- Court light cap at adjoining home
- 0.05 footcandle
- Court fixture setback
- 10 ft. from nearest property line
Summary
SMC 19.40.030(D) bars any exterior light source or its reflected glare from being directly visible from five feet or more beyond a City of Sonoma property line, though the shielding duty exempts single-family homes and public street or traffic lighting. Recreational court lighting carries its own tighter footcandle caps at the property line.
D. Shielding. Where the light source is visible from outside the project boundary, shielding shall be required to reduce glare so that neither the light source nor its image from a reflective surface shall be directly visible from any point five feet or more beyond the property line. This requirement shall not apply to single-family residential uses, traffic safety lighting, or public street lighting. ... 6. Design. ... Light fixtures shall be designed, constructed, mounted, and maintained so that, with appropriate shielding, the light source is completely cut off when viewed from any point five feet or more beyond the property lines of the subject parcel. The incident light level at a property line shall not exceed one footcandle measured from finished grade to a height of 12 feet. The incident light level upon any habitable structure on an adjoining property shall not exceed 0.05 footcandle;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
Subsection (D), titled Shielding, is the general light trespass rule: where a light source is visible from outside the project boundary, shielding is required so that neither the fixture itself nor its reflected image is directly visible from any point five feet or more beyond the property line. The code carves out three exemptions from that shielding duty: single-family residential uses, traffic safety lighting, and public street lighting, recognizing that a homeowner's porch light is not held to the same standard as a commercial parking lot fixture.
Outdoor recreational courts, tennis and basketball courts among them, are singled out for a stricter, numeric version of the same rule in subsection (F). Fixtures must be rectangular, coated in a dark low-reflectance material, mounted at least 10 feet from the nearest property line, and capped at 15 feet measured from the court surface, with no more than one fixture per 900 square feet of court and a hard maximum of eight poles per court. 05 footcandle, a fraction of the property-line cap. 050.
Violations & Fines
Glare or spillover light crossing a property line in violation of SMC 19.40.030(D) or the recreational-court footcandle caps in (F)(6) is enforced as a development code violation under SMC 19.90.040: the city planner can require re-shielding or fixture relocation, issue a stop-work order on new installations, and pursue misdemeanor charges plus recovery of the city's abatement costs for continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my neighbor's parking lot light shine onto my property in Sonoma?
Are backyard tennis or pickleball court lights limited near property lines?
Is my house light exempt from Sonoma's shielding rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle light trespass & shielding.