San Benito County, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

The County's principal tool against light trespass in the unincorporated area is Zoning Code § 25.07.012. It requires that all outdoor lighting be constructed with full shielding and/or recessing to reduce light trespass to adjoining properties, and that each fixture be directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way so that no light fixture directly illuminates an area outside of the site. To enforce this objectively, the County requires applicants to submit photometric data showing foot-candle readings every ten feet within the property and ten feet beyond the property lines, allowing staff to confirm that measurable spill light is kept off neighboring parcels. Functional lighting still has to meet the safety minimums (for example, one foot-candle minimum in parking areas) without exceeding the maximum averages, so the rule balances adequate on-site lighting against off-site spill. Freestanding fixtures within 25 feet of a residential zone are capped at 18 feet to keep tall, glaring poles away from homes. Section 25.07.012 also cross-references Chapter 19.31 of the County Code, and where the two conflict the more restrictive standard governs, giving the County a strong basis to require correction of fixtures that throw light onto a neighbor. Where a glaring light also rises to a private nuisance, California Civil Code §§ 3479-3480 provide an additional remedy beyond the zoning code.