Outdoor Lighting in Yakima, WA

If you live in Yakima or are thinking about moving there, outdoor lighting are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Yakima has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of outdoor lighting, and some of them might surprise you.

Light Trespass & Shielding

Yakima requires parking lot lighting near homes to use down-shielding so no glare or light pollution spills onto residential properties.

Key details: Governing section: YMC § 15.06.100. Shielding required: Down-shielding near residential districts. Extra requirement: Photometric plan may be required. Applies to: Off-street parking and loading lots.

Non-compliant fixtures identified during site plan review or a complaint-driven inspection must be corrected; the administrative official can condition or withhold occupancy approval and can require a photometric lighting plan before further use of the lot is approved.

Billboard Lighting

Billboards within one hundred fifty to three hundred feet of a residential district in Yakima must be capped at one hundred sixty square feet per face and may not be lighted at all.

Key details: Buffer zone: 150-300 ft of residential. Size cap in buffer: 160 sq ft per face. Lighting in buffer: Prohibited. Absolute minimum distance: 150 ft from residential.

Violating the billboard lighting or setback standards is enforced under YMC Chapter 15.25 as a zoning code violation, subject to city code compliance action.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Yakima actively enforces its billboard lighting requirements.

Dark Sky Rules

Yakima, Washington controls glare and light spill from signs through Yakima Municipal Code § 15.08.075. An externally lit sign must use steady, fully shielded fixtures aimed only at the sign, with the lamp not visible beyond the premises. Temporary and portable signs cannot be lit at all, and residential-zone signs are barred from illumination except on parcels of two acres or more.

Key details: Governing section: YMC § 15.08.075 (Sign illumination). External lighting: Fully shielded, steady, aimed solely onto the sign. Light source visibility: Lamp not visible beyond the premises. Residential zones: No sign illumination, except parcels of two acres or more. Temporary and portable signs: May not be illuminated.

Section 15.08.190 makes failure to comply with Chapter 15.08 a violation, punishable under YMC Chapter 15.25. Section 15.08.160(D) repeats that violations of the sign chapter are enforced under Chapter 15.25, and 15.08.160(C) lets the director require repair, maintenance or removal of a sign that has become a hazard, at the cost of the sign owner or property owner.

The Bottom Line

Yakima'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 Yakima is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Yakima can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, which shows when its source was last checked.