Chelan County, WA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chelan County Code Section 11.88.080
- Standard
- Low-intensity, nonflashing, shielded exterior lighting
- Applies to
- Every zoning district, unincorporated Chelan County
- Enforcement
- Department of Community Development, Chapter 16.06
- First-violation fine
- $750 first violation, $1,500 repeat
Summary
Chelan County's zoning code bars exterior lighting from spilling onto a neighbor's land anywhere in the unincorporated county. Section 11.88.080 requires parking lot lights, security lights and every other exterior fixture to be low-intensity and nonflashing, aimed toward the property it serves, or shielded so light cannot project directly across the property line. The standard applies to every zoning district under Title 11 and is enforced by the Department of Community Development alongside the county's general civil code enforcement process.
Parking lot lights, security lights, or any exterior lighting shall be low-intensity, nonflashing and designed to project toward the property or shall be shielded to keep light from directly projecting over property lines.
Full Breakdown
88, is the countywide rule against light trespass in unincorporated Chelan County: parking lot lights, security lights, or any other exterior lighting must be low-intensity, nonflashing, and either designed to project toward the property it serves or shielded to keep light from directly crossing the property line. 140, and it applies to every use and structure reviewed under Title 11 zoning, from a single-family home's security floodlight to a commercial parking lot. 080 for exterior fixtures at the same site. 080 is a general zoning standard rather than a use-specific chapter, it is reviewed at building permit and site plan stage by the Department of Community Development for any new or altered exterior lighting, and a fixture installed without the required shielding or aim is a zoning code violation subject to the county's standard code enforcement process.
Violations & Fines
A light fixture that fails Section 11.88.080's low-intensity, nonflashing, or shielding requirement is a zoning code violation. The Department of Community Development issues a notice and order under Chapter 16.06 directing the property owner to correct the fixture within a stated compliance period; failure to comply within that window triggers a civil fine of $750 for a first violation and $1,500 for a repeat violation under Section 16.16.010, with unpaid fines collectible as a lien against the property under Chapter 16.18.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Chelan County require to prevent light trespass onto a neighbor's property?
Does the lighting rule apply to residential security lights?
What happens if an exterior light violates Section 11.88.080?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelan County
Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington outdoor lighting overview
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