Pierce County, WA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- Retail dog/cat sales banned statewide
- Grandfather cutoff
- Stores selling dogs before July 25, 2021
- Approved dog source
- Breeder capped at 50 intact dogs, or USDA broker
- Cat sales
- No exception; banned outright
- Local license
- PCC 5.24.030 license from County Auditor
- License penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $250 fine or 90 days
- Repeat violations
- 3+ in a year end grandfathered sales
Summary
Pierce County pet shops fall under Washington's statewide ban on retail dog and cat sales. RCW 16.52.360, adopted into county law at PCC 5.24.075, bars any retail pet store from selling or offering to sell a dog or cat unless the store sold dogs before July 25, 2021 and sources them only from breeders capped at 50 intact dogs or a USDA-licensed broker.
(1) Except as provided in this section, a retail pet store may not sell or offer for sale any dog or cat. (2) A retail pet store that sold or offered for sale any dog prior to July 25, 2021, may sell or offer for sale a dog only if the retail pet store meets the following requirements: (a) Any dog sold or offered for sale must be sold or offered for sale only at the address identified on the retail pet store's business license, as defined in RCW 19.02.020; (b) Any dog sold or offered for sale must be obtained either: (i) Directly from a breeder, including an out-of-state breeder, who satisfies the requirements of RCW 16.52.310; or (ii) From a United States department of agriculture licensed broker pursuant to the federal animal welfare act, Title 7 U.S.C. Sec. 2131 et seq. as amended, that obtains dogs from a breeder in compliance with this section.
Full Breakdown
310's cap of 50 intact dogs over six months old, or from a USDA-licensed broker sourcing from such a breeder. Every dog sold under the exception must carry breeder documentation proving it wasn't separated from its mother before eight weeks, and the store must post the breeder's name, kennel name, city, state, license numbers, and the dog's purchase price and age on a bulletin board visible from the entrance. Cats have no comparable exception: cat sales at Pierce County retail pet stores are banned outright. 030, and that license can be denied, suspended, or revoked for violations, on top of whatever penalty the state sale ban imposes.
Violations & Fines
A pet shop that sells or offers to sell a dog or cat outside the RCW 16.52.360 exception is violating both state law and PCC 5.24.075. PCC 5.24.078 applies "the applicable penalties of Chapter 16.52 RCW" to these violations, and three or more violations in a year strip a grandfathered store of its right to sell any dog or cat at all. Operating without the required PCC 5.24.030 kennel/pet-shop license is separately a misdemeanor under PCC 5.24.160, punishable by up to $250.00 or 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Pierce County sell puppies?
Can a Pierce County pet store sell kittens?
Does a Pierce County pet shop still need a county license?
What happens if a pet store keeps violating the sale ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
Compare Pierce County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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