Edmonds, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cat license status
- Nonmandatory
- License fee
- $5.00, lifetime
- License purpose
- Identification only
- Default first-violation fine
- $100.00
- Issuing authority
- Animal control authority / police dept.
Summary
Edmonds does not require cat owners to license their cats. Section 5.05.025 offers a nonmandatory lifetime license for $5.00, sold purely for identification purposes if a cat is lost or picked up by animal control.
Unless otherwise set forth in this chapter, a violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute a Class I civil infraction pursuant to Chapter 7.80 RCW. Issuance and disposition of infractions issued for violations of this chapter shall be in accordance with Chapter 7.80 RCW. The penalty for violation of a provision of this chapter shall be $100.00. The penalty for a second or subsequent offense in violation of the provision of this chapter within two years shall be $250.00. ... A nonmandatory lifetime cat license is available, upon request of the owner, for purposes of identification. The fee for such license shall be $5.00.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
00 fee. There is no renewal, no age trigger, and no penalty for skipping it entirely; the whole point is identification if the cat ends up at the city's designated shelter. 010) issues the tag on request. 070. 00.
Violations & Fines
Skipping the optional cat license carries no penalty since it isn't required. Chapter 5.05's default penalty, a $100.00 fine for a first violation and $250.00 for a repeat within two years under 5.05.002, applies instead to actual cat-related violations like running at large or a female cat in season being accessible to other animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Edmonds?
Does Edmonds have a feral cat colony program?
Can my unspayed cat get me in trouble if she's in heat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle cat rules.