Tempe, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Property-line cap near single-family
- 0.5 foot-candle
- Spillover onto adjacent residential use
- not permitted at all
- Twinkling/patio light cap at property line
- 0.5 foot-candle
- Approval required before installation
- Community Development Director
- Governing purpose clause
- minimize glare onto adjoining properties, § 4-803(A)
Summary
Tempe limits spillover light at a property line adjacent to a single-family district to 0.5 foot-candle, and bars lighting next to a residential use from spilling over onto that use at all, under the Zoning and Development Code's lighting chapter.
A.Illumination in General. Exterior lighting shall provide for appropriate and desirable nighttime illumination for all uses on and related to the site...Lighting of exterior areas shall reduce conflicts between building design and landscape treatments, provide appropriate surveillance for crime prevention, and minimize glare or intrusive light onto adjoining properties and into the night sky....f.The foot-candle level at the property line adjacent to a single-family district (from the proposed lighting) shall not exceed one-half (0.5) foot-candle. Lighting next to a residential use shall not spill over onto that use;...6.Ornamental twinkling lights are permitted when part of a window display, patio, landscape or other integral part of a business, provided that they do not exceed one-half (0.5) foot-candles at the property line and do not conflict with the provisions of Section 4-803(C)(5) above, related to adjacent residential use;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 33 Update 4 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 11 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-803(A) sets the purpose behind Tempe's lighting rules: exterior lighting must minimize glare or intrusive light onto adjoining properties and into the night sky, while still supporting way-finding, ADA needs, and crime-prevention surveillance. 5 foot-candle, and the code separately states that lighting next to a residential use shall not spill over onto that use at all. 5 foot-candle property-line ceiling applies to ornamental twinkling lights used in window displays, patios, or landscaping near a business, under Section 4-803(C)(6), and those twinkling lights still can't conflict with the adjacent-residential provisions in (C)(5).
Every exterior lighting installation needs Community Development Director approval before installation, supported by a photometric plan under Section 4-802, so spillover limits are checked at the permit stage rather than left to complaint-driven inspection alone, though a completed installation that exceeds the cap remains a code violation regardless of when it's discovered.
Violations & Fines
A fixture that pushes more than 0.5 foot-candle across a property line abutting a single-family district, or that spills light onto an adjacent residential use at all, violates Section 4-803(C)(5)(f). The Community Development Director can require shielding, relocation, or dimming to bring the installation back into compliance, and noncompliant plans are not stamped for permit approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can my Tempe neighbor's security light be at my fence line?
Do patio string lights count toward Tempe's light trespass rule?
Who do I contact in Tempe about a neighbor's light shining into my yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tempe
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