Outdoor Lighting in Snohomish County, WA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Snohomish County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Snohomish County has no blanket dark-sky law, but its zoning use matrix forces shielded lighting on two specific uses in unincorporated areas: publicly owned parks and equestrian centers. SCC 30.22.130(14) bars unshielded park lighting that spills onto neighboring properties, while SCC 30.22.130(72) requires equestrian and mini-equestrian arena lights to be shielded so they don't glare onto adjoining land or public rights-of-way.
Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules in Snohomish County
Some RestrictionsSCC 30.22.130(14), (72)(c)
(14) Parks, Publicly-owned and Operated. (a) No bleachers are permitted if the site is less than five acres in size; (b) All lighting shall be shielded to protect adjacent properties; and (c) No amusement devices for hire are permitted. ... (72) Equestrian Centers and Mini-equestrian Centers require the following: ... (c) Any lighting of an outdoor or covered arena shall be shielded so as not t...
Light Trespass & Shielding
In unincorporated Snohomish County outdoor lighting must be hooded or shaded so that direct light does not glare onto surrounding property or rights-of-way. Sign lighting has the same rule, so light spilling onto a neighbor can be a violation.
Light trespass onto neighbors
Some RestrictionsSCC 30.27.010
Artificial lighting, excluding digital signs, shall be hooded or shaded so that direct light of lamps will not result in glare when viewed from the surrounding property or rights-of-way. (7) All signs must be a distance of 100 feet or more from all road crossings of railroad rights-of-way. They must be placed in a manner that they do not block the view of the crossing by operating personnel ab...
Billboard Lighting
SCC 30.27.080(8) caps digital billboard brightness at 5,000 nits by day and only 500 nits between sunset and sunrise as timed by the National Weather Service. Any digital billboard within 500 feet of a residential unit must go dark between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Digital Billboard Brightness & Curfew Rules
Significant RestrictionsSCC 30.27.080(8)(d),(e),(h),(j)
(d) The maximum brightness levels shall not exceed 5,000 nits when measured from the sign's face at its maximum brightness, during daylight hours. (e) The maximum brightness levels shall not exceed 500 nits when measured from the sign's face at its maximum brightness, between sunset and sunrise, as those times are determined by the National Weather Service. ... (h) A digital billboard shall not...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Snohomish County
4 cities in Snohomish County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Snohomish County ordinances
See every category we cover for Snohomish County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Snohomish County Ordinance Hub →