Puyallup, WA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Household pet cap
- 5 total cats and dogs, age 3+ months
- Kennel license fee
- $75.00 annually
- Kennel trigger
- 3+ dogs/cats bred for sale or boarded
- First-offense penalty
- Class 1 civil infraction
- Habitual violator
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/90 days
Summary
Puyallup Municipal Code caps household pets at a combined total of five cats and dogs over three months old on any property that is not a licensed kennel. Keeping more without a kennel license is a code violation.
No more than a total of five cats or dogs, or a combination of a total of five cats and dogs, over the age of three months may be kept on property that is not a licensed kennel.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4985225; v6 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
185 sets a hard numeric ceiling: no more than a total of five cats or dogs, or any combination of the two totaling five, over the age of three months, may be kept on property that is not a licensed kennel. 010(12) defines a 'kennel' as a place where three or more dogs or cats are kept for breeding with pups or kittens sold for profit, or where dogs or cats are received for care or boarding. 240 (structurally sound housing, sanitary drainage, employee coverage during open hours, and compliance with city zoning development standards).
Puppies and kittens under three months are not counted toward the five-animal cap, so a litter born on the property does not immediately trigger a violation. The cap applies citywide inside Puyallup limits; it has no application on Puyallup Tribe of Indians trust land, which is not subject to municipal code.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the five-pet limit without a kennel license is, under PMC § 8.04.200(1), a Class 1 civil infraction under RCW 7.80.120(1)(a), carrying the maximum penalty allowed under that statute. A person found in violation two or more times within five years is designated a 'habitual violator' under PMC § 8.04.260, which upgrades any further violation to a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs or cats can I legally keep in Puyallup?
Can I get a permit to keep more than five pets?
What happens if I'm cited for having too many pets?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Puyallup
Compare Puyallup to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle pet limits.