Outdoor Lighting in Yakima County, WA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Yakima County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Washington has no state dark-sky law, so Yakima relies on its Urban Area Zoning Ordinance. Site lighting must be shielded and directed away from neighbors, with down-shielding required near residential zones under YMC 15.06.100.
Yakima Outdoor Lighting & Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsYakima Municipal Code § 15.06.100
When provided, lighting shall be directed to reflect away from adjacent and abutting properties. Parking lots adjacent to residential districts or uses shall be designed with down-shielding and luminaries creating no lighting pollution upon those properties.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Every exterior light fixture on a use or sign in unincorporated Yakima County has to be shielded and aimed downward onto the site under YCC § 19.10.040(10), so it doesn't spill glare or light intrusion onto a neighboring residential property or blind passing drivers.
Yakima County Exterior Lighting & Glare Rules
Some RestrictionsYakima County Code § 19.10.040(10)
(10) Exterior Lighting. Exterior lighting is regulated to minimize light pollution to neighboring properties and encourage true-color, full-spectrum light rendition in projects. Exterior lighting for all uses and signs shall be directed downward and otherwise arranged, fully shaded, screened, shielded, and of a design that results in the light being directed onto the site and of an intensity ...
Billboard Lighting
Yakima County bars illuminated billboards near homes under Code § 19.20.130. Off-premises signs, including billboards, cannot stand within 150 feet of a residential district, and any billboard erected between 150 and 300 feet of one is capped at 160 square feet per face and cannot be lighted at all.
Yakima County Billboard Lighting Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsYakima County Code § 19.20.130(3)(d)-(e)
(d) Signs shall not be located within 150 feet of a residential district; (e) Signs between a 150 and 300 foot radius of a residential district shall be restricted to 160 square feet per sign face and may not be lighted; (f) Signs shall not be within 500 lineal feet of another off-premises sign on the same street; (g) Sign height standards shall not exceed that permitted for freestan...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Yakima County
1 cities in Yakima County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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