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Port Townsend, WA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

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

Key Facts

Threshold
4+ same-species animals over age 1
License required
Kennel license, PTMC 8.04.110
Fish exemption
Fish don't count toward limit
Chicken exemption
Chickens as pets don't need kennel license

Summary

Port Townsend lets you keep up to three dogs, cats, or other companion animals of the same species without a license: a fourth triggers kennel licensing.

"Kennel, animal" means any site where four or more companion animals of the same species over the age of one year are kept, whether such keeping is for pleasure, profit, breeding, or exhibiting, including places where said animals are boarded, kept for sale, or hire. For purposes of this chapter, the keeping of fish shall not count towards the limit on companion animals.

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

City code defines an "animal kennel" as any site keeping four or more companion animals of the same species over age one, regardless of whether you're breeding, boarding, or just keeping pets for pleasure. Hit that fourth same-species adult animal and PTMC 8.04.110 requires a kennel license from the city, plus written authorization and an inspection under PTMC 8.04.130. Fish don't count toward the limit, and chickens kept as companion animals are explicitly exempted from the kennel-license trigger.

Violations & Fines

Operating an unlicensed kennel (four-plus same-species companion animals without a license) is enforced under PTMC 8.04.390's general violation-and-penalty provisions for Chapter 8.04.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many dogs can I have in Port Townsend without a license?
Up to three dogs (or three of any one companion-animal species) before the site counts as a kennel requiring a license under PTMC 8.04.110.
Does having both dogs and cats count together?
No: the kennel threshold applies per species, so three dogs plus three cats still falls under the four-per-species kennel trigger.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Port Townsend

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsDog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsChickens & LivestockSome RestrictionsExotic PetsHeavy RestrictionsCat RulesSignificant RestrictionsPet Groomer RulesSome RestrictionsMicrochippingFew RestrictionsVeterinary Clinic ZoningSignificant RestrictionsBreed RestrictionsSome RestrictionsMandatory Spay/NeuterSome RestrictionsBird ProtectionSignificant RestrictionsCoyote ManagementSome RestrictionsWildlife FeedingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Wildfire ZonesSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Brush ClearanceSome Restrictions

All Port Townsend rules

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