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

040(19) is the outdoor-lighting performance standard for the city's RM multifamily zones. Building-mounted lighting has to be directed away from other residential structures and windows so it does not create direct illumination on them, and it has to be shielded so it does not create glare from exposed bulbs visible off site; the fixture also has to use whatever means are necessary to avoid excessive light throw beyond its intended target. The section states plainly that light illumination cannot be cast beyond the premises and has to be limited to illuminating surfaces meant for pedestrians or vehicles, which is the light-trespass rule itself: a fixture that spills light onto an adjoining lot is out of compliance regardless of its wattage.

Fixtures also have to include the necessary refractors within the housing to direct light to the areas intended to be lit, rather than relying on an unshielded bulb. To confirm compliance, the section gives the director of community development the authority to require a photometric plan from an applicant, a lighting layout showing calculated light levels across the site and at the property line, before signing off on a multifamily project's lighting design. 040.