Outdoor Lighting in Port Townsend, WA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Port Townsend, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Commercial and mixed-use exterior lighting in Port Townsend must be full cutoff, downward-pointing, and shielded to cut light pollution and glare.
Port Townsend Shielded-Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsPTMC 17.44.180(A)(2)(a)
All exterior lighting, including that to illuminate signs, shall be pointed downward and shielded from direct observation from the air, adjacent properties, and public rights-of-way... Light fixtures shall be "full cutoff" fixtures as defined by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Port Townsend requires shielded, downward-pointed exterior lighting to cut glare and nighttime light pollution on commercial and mixed-use sites.
Port Townsend Exterior Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsPTMC 17.44.180
All exterior lighting, including that to illuminate signs, shall be pointed downward and shielded from direct observation from the air, adjacent properties, and public rights-of-way. Lighting "spillover" to adjacent properties shall be minimized. Lamps shall use recessed or flat lenses. Light fixtures shall be "full cutoff" fixtures as defined by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North Am...
Billboard Lighting
Port Townsend's sign code defines billboard signs as off-premises advertising displays and prohibits them outright under PTMC 17.76.030 and 17.76.070, so there's no separate billboard-lighting standard because billboards themselves can't legally exist in the city.
Port Townsend Bans Billboards Outright
Heavy RestrictionsPTMC 17.76.030; PTMC 17.76.070(C)
"Billboard sign" means any outdoor sign containing advertising which is not related to any use or activity on the premises on which the sign is located, but not including directional signs as defined in this title. Billboard signs are prohibited. ... "The following signs are prohibited within the city: ... C. Billboards;"