Outdoor Lighting in Wausau, WI (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Wausau, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Wausau requires outdoor light fixtures to be full cut-off and downward-facing so no direct light crosses onto neighboring property, and caps mounting height by zoning district, from 8 feet in single-family districts up to 30 feet in heavy industrial districts. Wausau Municipal Code § 23.06.20(5)(d) exempts small decorative fixtures and outdoor recreation lighting.
Wausau Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 23.06.20(5)(d)
(d)Fixtures and luminaries.1.Outdoor lighting shall be full cut-off fixtures and downward facing and no direct light shall transmit onto adjacent properties.a.Exempt from this requirement are decorative light fixtures with frosted glass lamps, and any fixtures using a light bulb with a factory-rated light output of 1,700 lumens or less, including 100-watt incandescent bulbs and 100-watt-equival...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Wausau bars outdoor light fixtures from being aimed so the light element is visible from any residential property, and caps illumination at the property line to 0.50 foot-candles above ambient conditions. On-site averages are limited to 1.0 foot-candle in residential districts and 3.0 in nonresidential districts under Wausau Municipal Code § 23.06.20(5).
Wausau Light Trespass and Glare Limits
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 23.06.20(5)(a), (c)
(a)In no instance shall an exterior lighting fixture be oriented so that the lighting element (or a clear shield) is visible from a property located within a residential zoning district. The use of shielded luminaries and careful fixture placement is encouraged so as to facilitate compliance with this requirement. ... (c)Intensity of illumination.1.In no instance shall the amount of illuminatio...
Billboard Lighting
Wausau bans billboards outright: City of Wausau Municipal Code Section 23.09.30(1)(g) states no billboards or off-premises advertising signs shall be permitted anywhere in the city, so there is no lawful billboard for any lighting rule to apply to except a shrinking stock of legal nonconforming signs built before the ban.
Billboard Ban in Wausau, Wisconsin
Heavy RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code Sections 23.09.30(1)(g), 23.09.05(5)(k)
(g)No billboards or off-premises advertising signs shall be permitted. ... (k)Off-premises advertising sign. A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service, or entertainment that is conducted, sold, or offered elsewhere than upon the site where the sign is displayed. Off-premises advertising signs include billboards.1.Existing legal off-premise advertising signs made nonconfor...
Looking for Marathon County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Wausau city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Marathon County →