Hillsboro, OR Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Shielding trigger
- >900 lumens (60W incandescent equivalent)
- Required fixture
- IESNA full cut-off, beam angle ≤90°
- Max area lighting level
- 4 foot-candles at entries/pedestrian areas
- Applies to
- Type II/III development applications only
- Relief mechanism
- Variance/Adjustment under § 12.80.140
- Last amended
- Ordinance 6401, 2022
Summary
Hillsboro requires full cut-off shielding on any exterior fixture emitting more than 900 lumens (roughly a 60-watt incandescent bulb) on land that goes through Type II or Type III development review. The Community Development Code caps the fixture's beam angle at 90 degrees to cut glare onto neighboring property.
D.Light Trespass Standards.1.Light Trespass. Maximum lighting levels at property lines generally shall not increase lighting level more than 1.75 foot-candles 10 feet beyond the property line, as illustrated in Figure 12.50.240-A: [...] 2.Shielding. Any light source or lamp that emits more than 900 lumens (13 watt compact fluorescent or 60 watt incandescent) shall be concealed or shielded with an Illumination Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) full cut-off style fixture with an angle not exceeding 90 degrees to minimize the potential for glare and unnecessary diffusion on adjacent property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
140. A development application must include a lighting plan showing every fixture used to light streets, sidewalks, multi-use paths, parking lots, buildings and plazas, and the plan is checked against this section during land use review. On the functional side, pedestrian circulation areas need at least 2 foot-candles, required bicycle parking at least 3 foot-candles, and primary building entrances 3 to 4 foot-candles depending on proximity to a major transit stop, with an overall ceiling of 4 foot-candles for those same pedestrian, parking-lot entry and bike-parking areas.
2: any light source or lamp exceeding 900 lumens, the rough output of a 13-watt CFL or 60-watt incandescent bulb, must be concealed or fitted with an Illumination Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) full cut-off style fixture, with the light angle held to no more than 90 degrees, specifically to limit glare and stray light spilling onto adjacent lots. Fixtures also cannot be confused with warning, emergency, traffic, or airport lighting. m. The section was last amended by Ordinance 6401 in 2022, building on Ordinance 6322 (2019) and the original Ordinance 6120 (2015).
Violations & Fines
Because these standards are enforced through the land use approval, not a standalone citation, a lighting plan that omits required shielding blocks permit sign-off outright. Once approved, unshielded or over-lumen fixtures put the project out of compliance with its conditions of approval: HCDC § 12.70.120.H states failure to fulfill any condition of approval 'shall constitute a violation of this Code and the subject approval will be subject to code enforcement proceedings,' up to revocation of the approval itself. Relief runs through a Variance or Adjustment under § 12.80.140, not an after-the-fact waiver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hillsboro require shielded, dark-sky-friendly light fixtures?
Does the shielding rule apply to an existing single-family house in Hillsboro?
Can a business floodlight its parking lot without limit?
Is stadium or sports-field lighting exempt from the shielding standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
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How other cities in Washington County handle dark sky rules.