Title 22.140.385 of the LA County Code requires residential and commercial security lighting in unincorporated areas to use full cutoff shields aimed downward, capping property-line spill at 0.5 foot-candles and prohibiting glare onto neighboring dwellings or public ways.
Title 22.140.385 applies to all permanent outdoor lighting including motion-activated security floods, wall-pack fixtures, and pole lights. Fixtures must be full cutoff or fully shielded so that no light is emitted above the horizontal plane, with the bulb fully recessed within the housing. Maximum spill at any property line shared with a residential parcel is 0.5 foot-candles measured at five feet above grade. Motion-activated lights must shut off within ten minutes of last detected motion. The Hillside Management Area, Title 22.140.380, imposes a stricter 0.1 foot-candle cap. Building and Safety responds to written complaints. Contract cities and incorporated cities have parallel ordinances.
Unshielded security lights, glare onto neighboring homes, or motion lights staying on continuously trigger Code Enforcement citations under Title 22.140.385, with corrective orders within 30 days and fines up to 250 dollars per day.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Carson, CA
California AB 1164 (Gov Code §53087.5) preempts cities from banning artificial turf on residential property and requires that synthetic turf be treated as a ...
Carson, CA
Carson has no ordinance mandating native plant species, but the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO, CCR Title 23 §§490–495) effectively favors ...
Carson, CA
California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code §§10573–10574) authorizes residential and commercial property owners to install rooftop rainwater capt...
Carson, CA
Overgrown weeds, rubbish, and dry vegetation on Carson properties are abated under LA County Code Title 11 Ch. 11.36 (weed abatement) administered by LA Coun...
Carson, CA
Carson does not appear to have a published municipal-code prohibition on drone use in its city parks, but recreational operators must still comply with FAA r...
Carson, CA
Commercial drone work in Carson is governed by FAA 14 CFR Part 107 — operators must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the drone, comply with Remote I...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Los Angeles County.
See how Carson's security light shielding rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.