Statewide law
Arizona
Last checked 2026-09-23
Arizona's law, the oldest statewide outdoor lighting law in the country, requires most new outdoor light fixtures to be fully or partially shielded so light is directed downward, bans new mercury vapor lamps, and exempts emergency, temporary construction, and similar lighting. It applies statewide to reduce glare and skyglow near the state's observatories.
| Statute | Citation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Light Pollution (outdoor lighting fixture shielding) | A.R.S. Title 49, Chapter 7, ยงยง 49-1101 to 49-1104 | 1986 |
Municipal codes
- Flagstaff, AZ: The world's first International Dark Sky Place (2001), with a city lighting code (Flagstaff City Code Ch. 10-20) tracing back to a 1958 ordinance restricting searchlights near Lowell Observatory.
- Tucson / Pima County, AZ: A joint city-county Outdoor Lighting Code (adopted 1994ish, revised 2012 and 2024) limits fixture shielding, lumens, and color temperature to protect observatories on Kitt Peak and Mount Lemmon.
Sources
- https://law.justia.com/codes/arizona/2022/title-49/section-49-1101/
- https://www.ncsl.org/environment-and-natural-resources/states-shut-out-light-pollution
- https://flagstaff.az.gov/4042/Dark-Sky
- https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/city-services/planning-development-services/documents/2012_outdoor_lighting_code_.pdf
- https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson_az/0-0-0-4204