Portland requires outdoor lighting to use full-cutoff, downward-directed fixtures under PCC 33.130.215. Commercial lighting cannot exceed 0.5 foot-candles at residential property lines. Oregon has no statewide dark-sky statute, but Multnomah County's SEC overlays (Columbia Gorge, Sandy River) apply dark-sky best practices. LED color temperature generally limited to 3000K or below to reduce sky glow and protect bird migration along the Pacific Flyway.
Portland City Code 33.130.215 (Outdoor Lighting Standards) requires new and substantially-modified outdoor lighting to use full-cutoff (fully-shielded) luminaires with all light directed downward - no light emitted above the horizontal plane. Residential fixtures up to 900 initial lumens are generally exempt from full-cutoff requirements; commercial, institutional, and multi-family properties have strict cutoff obligations. Light trespass is limited to 0.5 foot-candles measured at the property line of abutting residential lots. Portland's Green Building Policy recommends warm-white LEDs (3000K or below) to reduce blue-spectrum emission harmful to migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway - Portland Audubon coordinates with Bird-Safe Buildings guidelines. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area enforces additional dark-sky standards in the Scenic Area boundary (east of Troutdale) under 16 USC §544d. Multnomah County MCC 39 applies lighting standards in SEC overlays. Unincorporated areas near Silver Star Natural Area and Sandy River canyon follow reduced-lighting practices. Oregon lacks a statewide dark-sky law like Arizona or New Mexico. Gresham and Troutdale adopt similar full-cutoff requirements in commercial zones. Holiday lighting is typically exempt during November 15 - January 15 under most local codes.
Non-compliant commercial lighting: PCC 33.730 Notice of Violation with 30-day correction window, then $500 to $5,000 per day. Light trespass exceeding 0.5 fc at residential line: $100 to $500. Bird-strike building violations (for large commercial): incentive loss under Bird-Safe program. Columbia Gorge NSA lighting violations: federal penalty up to $5,000/day.
Gresham, OR
Gresham addresses barking dogs through noise and animal control ordinances. Persistent barking that disturbs neighbors is a violation enforceable through Cod...
Gresham, OR
Gresham permits construction activities between 7 AM and 10 PM per GRC §7.20. Construction noise outside these hours is prohibited in residential areas.
Gresham, OR
Gresham Revised Code §7.20 regulates noise. Residential areas must not exceed 50 dBA between 10 PM and 7 AM, or 60 dBA between 7 AM and 10 PM at the property...
Gresham, OR
Gresham regulates on-street parking with time limits in certain areas. Vehicles must be currently registered and operable. Abandoned vehicles are subject to ...
Gresham, OR
Gresham requires driveways to meet development code standards. Vehicles must not block sidewalks or extend into the public right-of-way. Driveway modificatio...
Gresham, OR
Gresham restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Large commercial vehicles and heavy equipment may not be stored in residential areas.
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Multnomah County.
See how Gresham's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.