Snohomish County, WA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- State rule
- RCW 16.08.110 bars breed-based bans
- Required exemption
- CGC test exemption, min. 2 years
- County standard
- SCC 9.10.020: behavior-based only
- Dangerous dog fee
- $250 annual registration (SCC 9.10.040)
- Liability insurance
- $250,000 minimum per dog
Summary
Snohomish County has no breed-specific dog ban. State law, RCW 16.08.110, blocks any city or county from banning or singling out a breed unless it builds in a canine-good-citizen exemption. The county's own dangerous-dog program under SCC 9.10 evaluates individual behavior, not breed.
(1) A city or county may not prohibit the possession of a dog based upon its breed, impose requirements specific to possession of a dog based upon its breed, or declare a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous based on its breed unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) The city or county has established and maintains a reasonable process for exempting any dog from breed-based regulations or a breed ban if the dog passes the American kennel club canine good citizen test or a reasonably equivalent canine behavioral test as determined by the city or county; ... (3) For the purpose of this section, "dog" means a domesticated member of the family canidae, specifically species Canus lupus familiaris, and excludes nondomesticated members of the family canidae and any hybrids thereof, including but not limited to wolves, coyotes, wolf-dog hybrids, and coyote-dog hybrids.
Full Breakdown
110(1) tells Washington cities and counties they may not prohibit a dog based on its breed, impose breed-specific requirements, or declare a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous based on breed unless the jurisdiction maintains a process letting any dog test out through the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test (or an equivalent), with a resulting exemption lasting at least two years and a right to retest. Snohomish County has not adopted a breed ban, so this preemption is not in tension with local code; instead the county runs its dangerous-dog program on conduct alone.
030(10) and (18), meaning actual bites, attacks, or a documented history of aggression, not the dog's breed. 090(8) states that in a felony prosecution over a severe attack, the state may not meet its burden of showing an owner should have known the dog was dangerous solely by pointing to the dog's breed. 040.
Violations & Fines
There is no local breed ordinance to violate. Owners of dogs declared dangerous or potentially dangerous under SCC 9.10, regardless of breed, who fail to register, confine, or muzzle the dog face immediate confiscation under SCC 9.10.090, a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor under RCW 9A.20.021, and destruction of the dog if deficiencies are not corrected within 15 days. A dog that attacks after a prior conviction can expose the owner to a class C felony.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Snohomish County ban pit bulls or other breeds?
How does the county decide a dog is dangerous if not by breed?
Does my dog's breed count against it in a dangerous-dog case?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Snohomish County
How Snohomish County compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Snohomish County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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