Federal Way, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

010 makes it unlawful to keep or harbor a cat (or dog) once it reaches 21 weeks of age without an annual license, and the purchaser of the license is presumed to be the owner. Cats four months or older must be vaccinated against rabies under the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians' Compendium of Animal Rabies Control, and proof of vaccination is required before the animal services authority will issue the license. Annual fees are set by city council resolution, and the license runs one year from issuance, expiring on the last day of the twelfth month; the application records the cat's name, breed, color, age and sex.

A special no-charge permanent license is available for the lifetime of a spayed or neutered cat if the owner is a city resident 65 or older, or permanently disabled and unable to engage in substantial gainful employment, capped at three permanent licenses per household. License tags must be fastened to a collar and worn whenever the cat is off the licensed owner's premises, and it is unlawful to refuse to show proof of licensing to an officer on request. The requirement does not apply to veterinarians in custody of a cat, licensed shelters, kennels, grooming parlors, pet shops or pet daycares, or to nonresident owners in the city fewer than six months a year.