Port Townsend, WA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture type required
- Full cutoff, downward-pointing
- Non-cutoff lumen cap
- 1,500 lumens per fixture
- Pole height limit
- 17 feet above grade
- Applies to
- Commercial and mixed-use projects
- Governing chapter
- PTMC 17.44.180
Summary
Commercial and mixed-use exterior lighting in Port Townsend must be full cutoff, downward-pointing, and shielded to cut light pollution and glare.
All exterior lighting, including that to illuminate signs, shall be pointed downward and shielded from direct observation from the air, adjacent properties, and public rights-of-way... Light fixtures shall be "full cutoff" fixtures as defined by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
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
Under PTMC 17.44.180, exterior lighting on commercial and mixed-use projects must use full-cutoff fixtures pointed downward and shielded from view from the air, neighboring lots, and public rights-of-way, with recessed or flat lenses. Non-cutoff fixtures are allowed only if the Planning and Community Development director finds no significant light pollution or trespass and lumens stay at or under 1,500 per fixture. Poles are capped at 17 feet, canopy lighting must be recessed flush with the canopy, and security lighting requires motion sensors or timers. An exterior lighting plan is required with design review applications.
Violations & Fines
The city can require the business or property owner to correct noncompliant lighting once installed; fixtures must keep meeting the standard on an ongoing basis, enforced through the design review and code compliance process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Port Townsend require full cutoff outdoor lighting?
Is there a height limit on exterior light poles?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
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