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Port Townsend, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Cat license: Not required (dogs only, PTMC 8.04.030)
At-large ban: Applies to cats, not just dogs
Off-leash exception: Dogs only, council-designated areas
First offense: Class 2 civil infraction
Enforcement: Port Townsend Police Department

Summary

Port Townsend doesn't require cat licenses, but its at-large ban covers cats too: only dogs get city-designated off-leash areas, so a cat off its owner's property is a nuisance subject to seizure.

A. Unless otherwise allowed by this section, it is unlawful for any person to allow an animal to be at large; B. Except as provided for in subsection A of this section, a dog may be at large within the city limits only in areas designated by the city council by resolution; C. Any animal in violation of this section is declared to be a nuisance and may be immediately seized and impounded.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).

Full Breakdown

PTMC Chapter 8.04 requires licenses only for dogs (PTMC 8.04.030); cats are defined at 8.04.010(6) but never listed among animals that must be licensed, so no cat license or tag is required. The at-large ban, though, sweeps in every animal: PTMC 8.04.160(A) makes it unlawful to allow "an animal" off the owner's premises and off-leash, and subsection B carves out designated off-leash areas for dogs only, no equivalent exception exists for cats. Any animal violating this section, including a loose cat, is declared a nuisance and can be seized and impounded by the Port Townsend police department acting as animal control authority. The code has no feral-colony or trap-neuter-return provisions.

Violations & Fines

First offense is a Class 2 civil infraction; repeat violations of the same section become a Class 1 civil infraction, penalized at the default rate under RCW 7.80.120, plus impoundment fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to license my cat in Port Townsend?

No. PTMC 8.04.030 requires licenses only for dogs over six months old; the code never lists cats among animals that must be licensed.

Can my cat legally roam outside off-leash?

Not under the letter of the code. PTMC 8.04.160 bans any animal at large, and only dogs get a carve-out for city-designated off-leash areas.

Does Port Townsend have a feral cat colony or TNR program?

The municipal code has no feral-colony, community-cat, or trap-neuter-return provisions; strays fall under the general at-large and impoundment rules.

Sources & Official References

[1]PTMC Chapter 8.04 — Animal Control

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All Port Townsend rules

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