Issaquah, WA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Issaquah handles exotic pets through a list of prohibited animals in LUC 18.518.030(D), within the section on animals and livestock. Six categories are barred outright. Possession of animals that may infect people with rabies is prohibited in the City in accordance with WAC 246-100-197. Possession of wild animals is prohibited in accordance with WAC 220-450-030. Possession of animals that can cause damage to the natural environment is prohibited in accordance with WAC 220-650-200. Possession of dangerous animals that pose a threat to people, livestock, or pets is prohibited in accordance with Chapter 16.30 RCW. Possession of roosters, meaning male chickens over 30 days old, is prohibited. Possession of animals that emit long, frequent, or continued noises is prohibited.

The list works by category rather than by naming species. The Issaquah code points to the state rules cited inside each item to decide what counts as a wild animal or a dangerous animal, and none of those state texts is reprinted in the City code. Animals kept as household pets in a dwelling unit must also comply with King County Code 21A.30.020, Animal Regulations, Small Animals, as now existing or hereafter amended.

The only path for exotic animals is the zoological park exception in subsection E. Exotic animals within a permitted and licensed zoological park facility are permitted, as established in the table of permitted uses in IMC 18.402.020, if three approval criteria are met. The park must comply with all State and Federal laws for procuring and possessing animal specimens, including those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fencing must be provided per IMC 18.600.090. The parcel must be at least two and one-half acres in size but no greater than seven and one-half acres. The Land Use Code defines a zoological park or garden as a place where a collection of wild and/or exotic animals is kept for preservation, education and/or public showing.