Temecula, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Temecula Municipal Code Chapter 17.30 (Outdoor Lighting Standards) prohibits 'light trespass' — outdoor lighting that significantly intrudes onto neighboring properties or into residential windows. The standard limit is 0.5 footcandles measured at the property line of any adjacent residential parcel and 0.1 footcandles measured at any residential window. Lights must be shielded so the bulb or LED source is not directly visible from off-site, and aimed downward (no uplighting except for limited architectural and landscape applications). Common violations include: unshielded floodlights aimed across property lines, dusk-to-dawn yard lights illuminating neighbors' bedroom windows, decorative landscape lighting bleeding into adjacent yards, security cameras with bright IR illuminators visible from neighbors, and commercial parking lot lighting spilling into adjacent residential. Resolution typically begins with a neighbor-to-neighbor conversation; if unresolved, file a Code Enforcement complaint at 951-694-6480. Officers measure footcandles at the affected property and issue a Notice of Violation requiring correction (re-aiming, adding shields, replacing fixtures, or installing motion sensors). Failure to comply results in Administrative Citations of $100, $200, and $500 for repeat violations, plus potential nuisance abatement. The City favors shielded full-cutoff fixtures and motion-activated security lighting over continuous floodlights, also aligning with Mt. Palomar dark sky rules under RivCo Ordinance 655.