Mason County, WA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Mason County Code § 17.50.245, part of the county's Shoreline Master Program, regulates outdoor advertising, signs, and billboards within shoreline jurisdiction along Hood Canal, Puget Sound, and the county's lakes and rivers. Under subsection (b)(1), shoreline signs must still comply with the countywide sign code (§§ 17.03.200 through .203 and § 17.05.025) plus the Belfair (Chapter 17.34) and Allyn (Chapter 17.15) sign codes where applicable; § 17.50.245 layers additional shoreline-specific limits on top. Subsection (b)(3) requires illuminated signs, including billboards, to be "hooded, shaded, or directed so as to eliminate glare when viewed from surrounding properties or watercourses," addressing both light spillover onto neighbors and glare visible from the water.

The section also protects shoreline views: signs must be located and designed to minimize interference with vistas and visual access to the water, and off-premises signs generally cannot be placed on shorelines except for approved community entrance or directional signage. Overwater signs, or signs mounted on floats or pilings, are prohibited outright unless related to navigation, informational purposes, or a water-dependent use, though temporary signs under § 17.03 and signs attached to buildings are exempt from the shoreline setback that otherwise applies. Applicants seeking a shoreline sign or lit billboard apply through Mason County Community Development's shoreline permit process, and violations are enforced under the Shoreline Master Program's own penalty section rather than the general Title 15 development code.