How Beaverton Handles Outdoor Lighting: A Practical Guide
Beaverton maintains 115 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with outdoor lighting. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Beaverton falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Billboard Lighting
Beaverton prohibits billboards outright citywide under its Development Code, so there's no separate billboard-lighting standard to meet: the structure itself can't be erected anywhere in the city, lit or unlit.
Key details: Billboards: Banned citywide. Billboard-specific lighting rule: None: structure itself is banned. In effect since: Ordinance 4708 (2017). Citation: Development Code § 60.40.25.2.
Erecting a billboard anywhere in Beaverton is a Development Code violation, a Class 1 City infraction under § 10.70.6, and the structure may be confiscated as a public nuisance under § 60.40.55.
Compared to other cities, Beaverton takes a harder line on billboard lighting. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Dark Sky Rules
New development and redevelopment in Beaverton must meet the Development Code's Technical Lighting Standards: fixtures need full cutoff or shielding, capped mounting heights, and illumination limits at the property line, with tighter caps near Natural Areas.
Key details: Governing rule: Development Code § 60.05-1, Table 60.05-1. Shielding trigger: cutoff angle 90° or less. Applies to: new development & redevelopment. Near Natural Areas: 0.5-0.7 foot-candle cap, downward shields. Pole height cap: 15-30 ft depending on use.
A lighting plan that exceeds the cutoff-angle, illumination, or height limits fails Design Review and cannot receive site development or building permit approval until revised.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Beaverton caps how much light a new development's fixtures may cast onto neighboring land, tied to shielding and cutoff angle.
Key details: Measured at: property line or 5 ft beyond. Applies to: new development sitewide. Exempt: shared lines in common ownership. Exempt: lines abutting public right-of-way.
Reviewed and enforced through the city's Design Review process at permitting for the lighting plan, not through after-the-fact citation of an installed fixture.
The Bottom Line
Beaverton's outdoor lighting rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Beaverton is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Beaverton's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.