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Port Townsend, WA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Billboards
Prohibited citywide, no exceptions
Governing code
PTMC 17.76.030 & 17.76.070(C)
Enforcement
Civil penalty + abatement, Ch. 1.20 PTMC
On-premises sign lighting
Must be shielded, downward-facing

Summary

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.

"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;"

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).

Full Breakdown

The Port Townsend Municipal Code defines a 'billboard sign' as any outdoor sign advertising something unrelated to the premises where it's located, then flatly states 'Billboard signs are prohibited' in the same definition (PTMC 17.76.030). The prohibited-signs list in PTMC 17.76.070 repeats the ban, naming billboards alongside bench signs, flashing signs, and roof-mounted signs as forms no property in the city may display. Since freestanding off-premises billboards can't be permitted anywhere in Port Townsend, the sign code never reaches a billboard-specific lighting standard: general sign-lighting rules elsewhere in Chapter 17.76 (shielded, downward-facing fixtures) apply only to the on-premises signs the city actually allows.

Violations & Fines

Erecting a billboard in Port Townsend is a code violation and public nuisance under Chapter 1.20 PTMC, enforceable through notice-and-order abatement and civil penalties, plus removal of the illegal sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put up a billboard in Port Townsend?
No. PTMC 17.76.030 defines billboard signs and states they're prohibited, and PTMC 17.76.070(C) repeats the ban in the citywide prohibited-signs list: there's no permit path for off-premises advertising billboards.
Are illuminated on-premises signs regulated instead?
Yes: signs the code does allow must use externally shielded, downward-facing light sources that don't spill glare onto neighboring properties or the night sky, per the general sign-lighting standards in Chapter 17.76 PTMC.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Port Townsend

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsDark Sky RulesSome RestrictionsLight Trespass & ShieldingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Wildlife FeedingSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Wildfire ZonesSome Restrictions

All Port Townsend rules

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