Mason County, WA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Mason County Code Chapter 17.32, Lighting in the Belfair UGA, governs outdoor lighting for commercial and multi-family projects in Belfair. Section 17.32.030 requires exterior fixtures to direct light downward and incorporate cutoff shields to prevent spillover into residential areas; broadcast fixtures that throw light outward rather than down are discouraged, and even temporary high-intensity construction lighting must be oriented so the bulb is not visible from the nearest property line. Freestanding light fixtures, such as parking lot poles, are capped at sixteen feet, and mercury vapor fixtures are banned entirely; parking lot lights must instead be high-pressure sodium or another type approved by the county.

The chapter also sets minimum illumination: two foot-candles on public pedestrian walkways (four foot-candles at building entries) and one foot-candle across parking areas, measured five feet above the walking surface during the darkest part of the night. Decorative miniature lighting strings are limited to eleven-watt bulbs. These are minimum-illumination and shielding rules rather than a countywide dark-sky ordinance; outside the Belfair UGA, Mason County's code does not impose the same cutoff-shield or fixture-height limits. Mason County Community Development reviews lighting plans as part of Belfair site plan approval, and Chapter 15.13 governs enforcement of noncompliant installations.