Auburn, WA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

55 ACC, adopted by Ordinance 6390 in 2011 and amended through Ordinance 6959 in 2024, applies whenever a new development requires site plan review, an administrative or conditional use permit, or is a commercial project next to residential zoning, plus any redevelopment, expansion, or tenant improvement that proposes new or modified exterior lighting; it exempts individual dwelling units (though not their shared common areas), public rights-of-way, and emergency or law-enforcement lighting. 030(A) requires shielding on all sides of every covered fixture so the light source itself is not visible at or beyond the property line.

Fixture height is capped at 16 feet for any lighting within 50 feet of a residential zoning district, 30 feet for surface parking areas, and 24 feet in the C-1, C-2, M-1 and M-2 districts. Illumination levels are numerically fixed: parking lots, driveways and trash enclosures need a minimum maintained one footcandle and average no more than four footcandles; pedestrian walkways need a minimum half footcandle averaging no more than two; and light measured at the nearest residential structure or rear setback line cannot exceed one-tenth footcandle.

Accent lighting aimed upward at architecture, landscaping or art needs no permit if shielded to minimize spill. 040 separately bans strobe, search, and laser lights, roof-mounted lights other than fully shielded motion-activated security lights, and any light that visually interferes with a traffic signal, unless a temporary use permit covers a specific event. 050 exempts navigation and airport lighting, holiday lights, emergency lighting, state/federal highway lighting, internal sign illumination, public monument lighting, active construction lighting, and stadium or field lighting.