Edmonds, WA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

020. The rule requires that external lights be shielded, trained or directed so as to minimize glare onto adjacent property or passing traffic, a performance-based standard rather than a fixed footcandle limit for most uses. The same subsection separately addresses arc welding and acetylene torch cutting, requiring those processes to be performed so they cannot be seen from any point beyond the outside of the property, treating visible welding flash as a form of light nuisance distinct from fixed lighting. , and the fixtures themselves must minimize scattering of light beyond the field or court being illuminated.

075(B), which requires off-street parking areas at those uses to be lit at a minimum average of 20 footcandles by overhead lighting directed downward and away from external property lines. 010 can be tested: if the city has reasonable doubt a use meets the performance standards, it can require the property owner to pay for an independent laboratory analysis of the lighting or other emissions and report the results to the city.