Skagit County, WA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SCC 14.20.040(3)
- Light trespass cap
- 1 foot-candle at property boundary
- Fixture requirement
- full cut-off, aimed away from neighbors
- Applies to
- all zones and uses (SCC 14.20.020)
- Reflective materials
- barred if they glare onto adjacent land
- Enforcing agency
- Planning and Development Services
Summary
SCC 14.20.040 caps light spilling onto a neighbor's land at one foot-candle at the property boundary and requires full cut-off fixtures aimed away from adjoining properties. The standard applies to every use in every zone in unincorporated Skagit County unless another section says otherwise.
(1) Any activity producing steam, heat, or glare must be carried on in such a manner that the steam, heat, or glare does not create a nuisance beyond the boundary lines of the property within which the use is located.
(2) Building materials with high-light reflective qualities may not be used in construction of buildings where reflected sunlight would throw intense glare on adjacent areas.
(3) Artificial lighting must use full cut-off fixtures so that direct light from high intensity lamps will not result in glare. Lighting must be directed away from adjoining properties so that not more than one foot-candle of illumination leaves the property boundaries.
Full Breakdown
020 makes the chapter apply to every use in every zone unless another Section provides otherwise. 040, first bars any activity that produces steam, heat or glare from creating a nuisance beyond its own property line, then bars highly reflective building materials where the reflected sunlight would throw intense glare on adjacent land. Its lighting rule is the most specific: artificial lighting must use full cut-off fixtures so that light from high-intensity lamps does not cause glare, and fixtures must be aimed away from adjoining properties so that no more than one foot-candle of illumination crosses the property boundary.
040(3), which shows Planning and Development Services applies the one foot-candle ceiling as the county's general test for whether a property's lighting is intrusive on its neighbors.
Violations & Fines
Lighting that exceeds the one foot-candle boundary limit or uses non-cut-off fixtures violates SCC 14.20.040(3) and is enforceable as a general Title 14 violation, drawing a civil penalty of $100 per day per violation under SCC 14.09.330(2)(a), or a $250 default Class 1 civil infraction under SCC 14.09.320(2), after an investigation opened under SCC 14.09.210.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can cross onto my neighbor's property in unincorporated Skagit County?
Does the lighting standard apply county-wide?
Can reflective siding or roofing violate this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Skagit County
Compare Skagit County to another location·View the Washington outdoor lighting overview
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