Bellevue, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Unaltered cat license
- $60.00 per year (KCC 11.04.035)
- Altered cat license
- $30.00 per year
- Late renewal fee
- $15.00 after 45-90 days
- At-large law
- Applies to dogs only, not cats
- Feral colony caretakers
- Not classified as "owners"
- Enforcement agency
- King County Regional Animal Services Section
Summary
Bellevue enforces animal control through King County's Title 11 code, adopted by BCC 8.05.010. Any cat over eight weeks old kept in the city more than thirty days needs a King County pet license: $60 unaltered, $30 if altered. Cats face no leash or at-large law; only dogs do, and feral colony caretakers are not treated as owners.
11.04.030 A. Any owner of a pet eight weeks old and older in King County for more than thirty days shall license and register that pet, but this provision does not apply to a pet walker, sitter, or other temporary custodian, if that person can verify the pet owner's name and contact information. The license must be renewed on or before the date of expiration. ... 11. Pet owners are subject to the penalty set in K.C.C. 11.04.035 for failure to comply with the licensing requirement in subsection A. of this section.
Full Breakdown
The City of Bellevue does not run its own cat licensing scheme. 035. 030(A), any owner of a pet eight weeks old or older kept in the county for more than thirty days must license and register it; the license runs one year from issuance and must be renewed by its expiration date. 00 for a transfer from another jurisdiction. 00 fee once 45 to 90 days past expiration, on top of the license fee itself. 230(O) makes it a public nuisance only "for a dog to be at large, or be at large in a pack," with no equivalent restriction listed for cats.
280 defines "owner" to exclude "individuals or organizations involved with providing care to a feral cat colony, such as trap, neuter, and release programs," and altered, ear-tipped feral cats are exempt from standard shelter holding periods and may be returned to where they were found at the manager's discretion. 030.
Violations & Fines
Failing to license a pet draws the penalty schedule set in KCC 11.04.035, plus a $15.00 late fee once the renewal is 45 to 90 days overdue and higher tiers beyond that. Selling or transferring an unlicensed pet is a separate violation under KCC 11.04.030(9). Because Bellevue enforces this title through its own Chapter 1.18 civil violation process where applicable, unresolved cases can carry escalating daily monetary penalties of $100 to $500 assessed by the hearing examiner. Fees and penalties collected go to the county's general fund for regional animal services under KCC 11.04.035(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bellevue require cat licenses?
Can a cat legally roam outside in Bellevue?
Are people who feed a feral cat colony considered the cats' owners?
How much does a cat license cost in Bellevue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle cat rules.