Vancouver has no dedicated dark-sky ordinance. Outdoor lighting standards are embedded in site-development and parking area regulations that prohibit glare beyond parcel boundaries and require lighting directed away from residential zones.
Vancouver's municipal code addresses outdoor lighting through general development standards rather than a standalone dark-sky chapter. VMC 20.945.040 requires all off-street parking areas over 5,550 sq ft to be illuminated to at least 0.5 foot-candle (1.0 foot-candle at accessible routes), with lighting directed to prevent glare on nearby residential areas. VMC 20.650.060 (Waterfront Mixed Use district) requires lighting to not create glare beyond the subject parcel's boundaries. VMC 20.440.050 and other commercial-district standards similarly require lighting directed away from adjacent residential zones. No citywide correlated-color-temperature, lumen cap, or curfew requirements are codified. The city has not adopted a DarkSky-recognized lighting ordinance.
Lighting that creates glare or trespass beyond parcel boundaries may be cited as a nuisance under general code enforcement; violations of site-plan lighting conditions are enforced through development permit compliance.
Vancouver, WA
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See how Vancouver's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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