Yakima County, WA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Basis for restriction
- documented behavior, not breed
- Level 6 dog
- euthanized at owner's expense
- Registration for Level 2-6 dogs
- $150 fee + $250,000 bond/insurance
- Level 2-3 restraint violation
- misdemeanor, up to $1,000/90 days
- Level 4-5 confinement violation
- gross misdemeanor, up to $5,000/1 year
- Standard chapter infraction
- $125 per violation
Summary
Yakima County has no breed ban: dangerous-dog status turns on a dog's own behavior, graded Level 1 through 6, under YCC § 8.36.160. Owners of a Level 2 through 6 dog face escalating leash, enclosure, insurance, and registration duties under § 8.36.170, and a Level 6 dog is euthanized at the owner's expense.
It is unlawful for any owner to permit any dog to engage in any of the following behavior: (1) Level 1 Behavior. Level 1 behavior occurs when a dog is at large. (2) Level 2 Behavior. Level 2 behavior occurs when a dog, while at large, menaces, chases, displays threatening or aggressive behavior, or otherwise threatens or endangers the safety of any person, domestic animal or livestock. (3) Level 3 Behavior. Level 3 behavior occurs when a dog, while at large, causes physical injury to any person, domestic animal or livestock. (4) Level 4 Behavior. Level 4 behavior occurs when a dog, although not at large, bites or causes physical injury to any person. (5) Level 5 Behavior. Level 5 behavior occurs when a dog, while at large, bites or causes severe injury to any person, or kills any domestic animal or livestock. (6) Level 6 Behavior. Level 6 behavior occurs when a dog: (a) Whether or not confined, causes the serious physical injury or death of any natural person; or (b) Is used as a weapon in the commission of a crime.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4871853; v6 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
170. Level 1 is simply being at large. Level 2 is an at-large dog that menaces, chases, or displays aggressive behavior; its owner must keep it restrained so it can't reach a public sidewalk or neighboring property, on a chain leash under a capable adult's control whenever it's off the owner's premises. Level 3, an at-large dog that causes physical injury, requires the same restraint plus confinement in a secure enclosure or inside the home. Level 4 (a bite or injury even when not at large) and Level 5 (an at-large dog that bites and causes severe injury, or kills livestock or another animal) require a secure enclosure, conspicuously posted warning signs approved by the department, and a muzzle plus leash whenever the dog leaves the enclosure.
Level 6, a dog that causes serious injury or death or is used as a weapon in a crime, must be euthanized at the owner's expense. 340: the owner must show a proper enclosure, posted warning signs including symbols for children, and either a $250,000 surety bond or liability insurance policy, plus pay the Yakima Humane Society a $150 registration fee. The department may also require the dog to be microchipped at the owner's expense. 277.
Violations & Fines
Most Chapter 8.36 violations are $125 civil infractions, but failing to keep a Level 2 or 3 dog properly restrained under § 8.36.170(1)(a) or (b) is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail, while failing to confine a Level 4 or 5 dog under § 8.36.170(1)(c) or (d) is a gross misdemeanor carrying up to $5,000 and a year in jail. Any violation can result in the dog being impounded or, for a Level 6 dog, destroyed by court order under § 8.36.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Yakima County ban specific dog breeds?
What has to happen before my dog is declared dangerous?
What does registering a dangerous dog require?
What happens to a dog that seriously injures someone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima County
How Yakima County compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Yakima County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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