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

150(i), the illumination standard inside the sign code's general requirements chapter, is Sunnyvale's light-trespass rule for signage. It starts from a baseline ban: no sign, anywhere in the city, may be illuminated so that the bulb or other primary light source is visible past the property line or otherwise causes excessive glare or brightness. For signs sited next to housing, the section layers on additional controls. , cutting off illumination during the late-night and pre-dawn hours when spillover light is most disruptive. Separately, any illuminated sign located adjacent to a residential area must be shielded so its light is directed downward and away from adjacent properties, with 'no spillover light' onto neighboring land, and must run through a rheostat or an equivalent dimming control to keep glare down.

The city also reserves inspection authority: after installation, if staff determines a sign's brightness adversely affects adjacent properties, the city can order shielding or an intensity reduction, and that intensity restriction can vary by time of day and ambient light conditions rather than being fixed at one brightness level. 150(i) applies specifically to sign illumination, not to floodlights, security lights, or parking-lot poles.