Shoreline, WA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

SMC § 8.12.255 prohibits feeding waterfowl in any City of Shoreline park area: no person may place, deposit, scatter, or distribute food of any kind or nature in a park with an intent to feed waterfowl, a rule adopted by Ordinance 910 in 2021 to curb the nuisance and water-quality problems that concentrated duck and goose feeding causes. The prohibition sits in Chapter 8.12's Article III, Rules Governing Use of Facilities, alongside related provisions such as SMC § 8.12.410, which separately makes it unlawful, outside authorized fishing, to capture, tease, annoy, disturb, or strike any bird or animal in a park, or to throw an object at or near one.

Because § 8.12.255 falls in Article III, a violation is a civil infraction under SMC § 8.12.530, carrying a monetary penalty of up to $500, restitution for any park damage, or both, enforceable through the applicable justice court rules and bail schedules referenced in that section. The rule applies citywide across Shoreline's park system, including Richmond Beach Saltwater Park and Shoreview Park, and the parks, recreation and cultural services department may also impose administrative sanctions under SMC § 8.12.550, such as loss of park-use privileges, on top of any court-imposed penalty.