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Coconino County, AZ Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

IR security lights
allowed in all zones
Fixed IR lights
must be fully shielded
Movable IR/camera spotlights
capped at 20° below horizontal
Camera registry/Ring program
none exists in county code
Fines
up to $750/day individual, $10,000/day business

Summary

Coconino County has no camera registry or law-enforcement video-sharing program; its only camera-adjacent rule regulates the infrared lighting mounted with security surveillance systems. Section 4.3.G.2 allows IR security lighting in every zone if fixed lights are fully shielded and movable spotlights on cameras stay aimed no higher than 20 degrees below horizontal.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Coconino County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

2. Infrared Security Lighting. Lights emitting infrared radiation used for remote security surveillance systems are permitted in all zones with the following restrictions: A. Fixed lights must be fully shielded; and B. Movable lights, such as spot lights attached to infrared sensitive cameras, must be mounted such that the lights cannot be directed higher than 20 degrees below the horizontal, measured from the center of the light beam.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

Coconino County's zoning ordinance does not maintain a residential-camera registry or a law-enforcement video-sharing program like a Ring partnership; the only county-level rule touching security cameras governs the infrared lighting mounted with them. 2, Infrared Security Lighting, permits lights emitting infrared radiation for remote security surveillance systems in every zone in the unincorporated county, subject to two mounting rules: fixed infrared lights must be fully shielded, and movable lights, such as spotlights attached to infrared-sensitive cameras, cannot be aimed higher than 20 degrees below horizontal measured from the center of the light beam.

That places IR security lighting inside Chapter 4's broader outdoor-lighting scheme, adopted to protect the Naval Observatory and Lowell Observatory from light pollution, rather than in a privacy or law-enforcement chapter. Because the ordinance is silent on camera placement, footage retention, or third-party doorbell-camera partnerships, a homeowner's obligations for the camera itself default to whatever civil law otherwise applies; only the light fixture attached to it is county-regulated, and it is enforced exactly like any other outdoor lighting fixture.

Violations & Fines

A misaimed or unshielded infrared security light is enforced the same as any other lighting violation, through Section 4.3.H.4's cross-reference to Section 5.14: the Zoning Inspector investigates complaints, and the Hearing Officer can impose fines up to $750 per day for an individual or $10,000 per day for a business under A.R.S. §§ 13-802(B) and 13-803(A)(3), with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install infrared security cameras with lighting on my property?
Yes. Section 4.3.G.2 permits infrared lighting used with remote surveillance systems in every zone, as long as fixed lights are fully shielded and any movable spotlight attached to a camera is mounted no higher than 20 degrees below horizontal, measured from the center of the beam.
Does Coconino County require me to register my security cameras with the sheriff?
No. The zoning ordinance has no camera-registry or video-sharing program; it regulates only the infrared lighting fixture mounted alongside a security camera, not the camera itself or any footage it records.
Can I aim my security spotlight wherever I want?
No. Movable infrared lights attached to security cameras cannot be directed higher than 20 degrees below horizontal measured from the center of the beam, under Section 4.3.G.2.B, the same as any other outdoor lighting fixture in the county.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Coconino County

All Coconino County rules

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