Outdoor lighting in Emeryville: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Emeryville Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Emeryville's code says

Emeryville code What Emeryville's code adds
Brightness or color limit	Under 1,600 lumens per fixture, such as one 100-watt bulb or 20-watt LED equivalent. Applies: Lighting that highlights architectural features or art. § 9-4.705 · code text Lighting that highlights architectural features or art shall be limited to one (1) one hundred (100) watt bulb or twenty (20) watt equivalent LED, and emit less than one thousand six hundred (1,600) lumens, per fixture.
Fixture height	No higher than 8 feet above ground level. Applies: Security wall lighting. § 9-4.705 · code text Security wall lighting shall be limited to eight feet (8') above ground level.
Light at the property line	No light spillover beyond the property line. Applies: Except onto public streets, if the light causes no hazard to motorists. § 9-4.705 · code text No spillover beyond the property line shall be permitted, except onto public thoroughfares; provided, however, that no such light shall cause a hazard to motorists.
Shielding	Lights must be shielded so they are not directly visible from a neighboring home's property. Applies: Except low level lighting, such as interior lights and porch lights. § 9-5.1107 · code text Lights shall be shielded so as not to be directly visible from an adjoining residential property, except for low level lighting such as interior lights and porch lights. Direct light must stay on the premises; no direct light above the horizontal plane of the fixture. Applies: All new and replacement outdoor lighting, not signs. § 9-4.705 · code text All exterior lighting shall be designed to confine direct rays to the premises. No light fixture shall emit any direct light above a horizontal plane through the fixture.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the outdoor lighting rules for homes in Emeryville?

Emeryville's code: Lights must be shielded so they are not directly visible from a neighboring home's property. (Except low level lighting, such as interior lights and porch lights.) (§ 9-5.1107); No light spillover beyond the property line. (Except onto public streets, if the light causes no hazard to motorists.) (§ 9-4.705).

Outdoor lighting in Emeryville

What Emeryville's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

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