Edmonds, WA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Feeding, attracting or sustaining wildlife
- Where
- City beach areas
- Exception
- State Fish and Wildlife authorized programs only
- Max penalty
- $1,000 misdemeanor fine
- Adopted
- Ord. 4152, 2019
Summary
Edmonds bans intentionally feeding, attracting or artificially sustaining wildlife on city beaches under ECC 5.32.106, added in 2019, with an exception only for feeding programs authorized by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. The prohibition is beach-specific and can be lifted only by posted notice.
No person shall intentionally feed, attract, or artificially sustain wildlife on city beaches. The feeding of indigenous wildlife is prohibited in all city beach areas unless otherwise posted. This section does not apply to authorized feeding programs established with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
106, "Feeding Wildlife on City Beaches Prohibited," was adopted by Ordinance 4152 in 2019 alongside the smoking and vaping ban in the same chapter. It uses three separate verbs: no person may "intentionally feed, attract, or artificially sustain wildlife," reaching not just direct feeding but leaving food or attractants that draw animals to a beach area. The second sentence makes the default posture a blanket prohibition across "all city beach areas unless otherwise posted," meaning the city could designate an exception by sign but has not built any general permitting process into the text itself.
105. 005(C), which defines "park" to include beaches, underwater parks and playgrounds, so its reach should be read as Edmonds' public beach areas, including Marina Beach and the waterfront near Brackett's Landing, rather than inland parks, where feeding birds or squirrels is not separately addressed in this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Feeding, attracting or artificially sustaining wildlife on an Edmonds city beach is a misdemeanor under the Chapter 5.32 penalty at ECC 5.32.140, carrying a fine of up to $1,000. There is no tiered civil-infraction step here, unlike the chapter's noise counterpart in Chapter 5.30; a first violation is charged directly as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed seagulls or geese on an Edmonds beach?
Does the wildlife-feeding ban cover accidentally attracting animals with leftover food?
What is the penalty for feeding wildlife on an Edmonds beach?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle wildlife feeding.