Outdoor Lighting in Bellingham, WA (2026)
1 verified outdoor lighting rules for Bellingham, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Bellingham does not have a stand-alone dark-sky ordinance. Outdoor lighting is regulated through the Shoreline Master Program at BMC 22.08.180 (Lighting), which requires master lighting plans, fully-shielded fixtures, pole heights not exceeding 20 feet, and photometric plans limited to one foot-candle at the property line; and through neighborhood-specific standards such as BMC 20.37.280 (Fountain District Village), which requires shielded building and aesthetic lighting limited to 1.5 foot-candles at the property line and fully-shielded wall packs not exceeding 100 watts. Washington State has no statewide dark-sky statute.
Bellingham Outdoor Lighting: Shoreline Shielding and Site-Plan Standards
Some RestrictionsLooking for Whatcom County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bellingham city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Whatcom County →