Pasco, WA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Pasco's primary tool for limiting light trespass - unwanted light spilling from one property onto another - is the outdoor lighting code at PMC Chapter 12.32. The shielding standard (PMC 12.32.020) requires outdoor lighting systems to be shielded from above so that the edge of the shield is level with or below the center of the light source, minimizing direct light emitted above the horizontal. Shielding the source and cutting off uplight also reduces horizontal spillover and glare toward neighboring properties. The chapter includes an unlawful-acts section (PMC 12.32.040), temporary exemptions (PMC 12.32.050), exclusions (PMC 12.32.060), enforcement (PMC 12.32.070), and penalties for violation (PMC 12.32.080). The fetched summaries of the code do not state a separate numeric light-trespass limit (such as a maximum foot-candle value measured at the property line), so the operative requirement is the shielding/cutoff performance standard rather than a published illuminance cap; persistent glare or spillover may also be addressed as a nuisance. As of late 2025 the City was studying updates to its lighting standards, which could add or change trespass-related provisions. For a current neighbor light-spillover concern, review whether the offending fixture meets the shielding standard, then confirm the current requirements and any nuisance remedies with the City of Pasco Community and Economic Development Department or code-enforcement staff.