Kitsap County, WA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Trespass cap
- 1 foot-candle maximum at property line
- Also required
- Light directed downward, shielded from above
- Covered uses
- Most nonresidential and multi-family development
- Exempt uses
- Single-family, duplex, RW/FRL/MRO zone uses
- Reviewing agency
- Dept. of Community Development, permit review
- Penalty
- Class I civil infraction, per day
Summary
Kitsap County caps how much artificial light a development may throw onto neighboring land: Section 17.420.030(C)(1) requires outdoor lighting be arranged so that no more than one foot-candle of illumination leaves the property boundaries, paired with a requirement that fixtures be directed downward and away from adjoining properties.
C. Exterior Lighting. 1. In all zones, artificial outdoor lighting shall be arranged so that light is directed downward and away from adjoining properties and shielded from above to prevent light pollution of the night sky and so that no more than one foot candle of illumination leaves the property boundaries.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
" The same subsection requires the light be "directed downward and away from adjoining properties and shielded from above," so the one-foot-candle cap is paired with a directional and shielding mandate rather than standing alone. The standard is measured at the property line, meaning a landowner can install bright site lighting as long as the light level crossing onto a neighbor's parcel does not exceed one foot-candle. 030(A), so most commercial, industrial, and multi-family development in the county is covered, while a single detached house's yard light is not independently subject to this cap.
Compliance is reviewed by the Department of Community Development as part of site-plan and building-permit review. The provision applies only within unincorporated Kitsap County; a project inside Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, or Bainbridge Island is subject to that city's own exterior-lighting standard, not this county rule.
Violations & Fines
A development whose lighting exceeds one foot-candle at the property line, or that is not directed downward and shielded as Section 17.420.030(C)(1) requires, violates Title 17 and is a Class I civil infraction under Section 17.610.020. Infractions are cumulative, with a separate infraction for each day the excess light-trespass continues, and are processed under the county's civil enforcement ordinance, Chapter 2.116; the director may order fixtures re-aimed, shielded, or removed under Section 17.610.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can a Kitsap County business or project throw onto my property?
Does the light-trespass rule apply to a neighbor's house lights?
Who checks whether a project meets the light-trespass limit?
What is the penalty for exceeding the light-trespass limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington outdoor lighting overview
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