Seattle, WA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Cats over 8 weeks old
- Fee
- $30 altered / $80 unaltered
- License term
- 12 months (6 for provisional)
- Late fee
- $30 after 30 days
- At-large offense
- Cats and pigeons exempted
- Tag exemption
- Registered microchip (SMC 9.25.080(B))
Summary
Seattle requires every cat over eight weeks old to carry a City license under SMC 9.25.051, with fees of $30 altered/$80 unaltered plus a $30 late fee under SMC 9.26.020. Unlike dogs, cats are expressly exempt from the at-large offense in SMC 9.25.084(A), and a microchipped, registered cat can skip the physical tag under SMC 9.25.080(B).
Any owner of a cat or dog over the age of eight (8) weeks must obtain a valid license for each such animal. Within thirty (30) days of entry of any cat or dog into The City of Seattle, the owner of the cat or dog must obtain a valid license for each such animal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Seattle treats cat ownership as a licensing matter more than a leash matter. SMC 9.25.051 requires any owner of a cat over eight weeks old to hold a valid City license, and an owner bringing a cat into Seattle has 30 days to license it. SMC 9.25.050 sets the license term at 12 months (a provisional license runs six months) and requires proof of alteration for the discounted male rate. Fees are set by SMC 9.26.020: $30 for an altered cat, $80 unaltered, with a $30 late fee if renewal is more than 30 days overdue and a $7 replacement fee for a lost tag; seniors and people with disabilities pay half price. All cats and dogs four months or older must also be vaccinated against rabies under SMC 9.25.049.
Cats get one significant carve-out other pets don't: SMC 9.25.084(A) makes it unlawful for an owner to "permit any animal, except cats and pigeons, to be at large or trespass upon the property of another", meaning a roaming cat is not, by itself, a code violation the way a loose dog is. Licensed cats also get a tag exemption: SMC 9.25.080(B) excuses a cat from displaying a physical license tag if it "has been implanted with microchip identification and the microchip number is registered with Seattle Animal Control."
Failing to license a cat is a civil violation carrying up to a $500 penalty under SMC 9.25.100(B), but that subsection also builds in an amnesty: the owner avoids the penalty entirely by obtaining a current license or by notifying the Director that the cat has been rehomed or is no longer owned.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unlicensed cat over eight weeks old violates SMC 9.25.050/9.25.051, and SMC 9.25.100(B) makes it punishable by a civil penalty up to $500, though the fine is waived if the owner licenses the cat or reports its disposition before being cited. Removing a City-implanted identification microchip is separately unlawful under SMC 9.25.080(I).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Seattle?
Can my cat legally roam outside?
Does my cat need to wear its license tag?
What happens if I never license my cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle cat rules.