Whatcom County, WA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning classification
- Conditional use, Agriculture District
- State permit required
- WAC 232-12-275 rehab permit
- Species allowed
- Native wildlife only
- Minimum setback
- 50 feet from property lines
- Review authority
- Whatcom County Hearing Examiner
- Civil penalty
- up to $1,000 per day
Summary
Wildlife rescue hospitals and rehabilitation facilities are a conditional use in Whatcom County's Agriculture District, approved only if the animals held are native species, the operator holds a state wildlife rehabilitation permit under WAC 232-12-275, and no enclosure sits within 50 feet of the property line.
Wildlife animal rescue hospitals and/or rehabilitation facilities including accessory enclosures thereto, such as kennels, cages, stables, aviaries, runs, and fenced pastures, to provide for the care of and management of sick, injured, displaced or orphaned wildlife provided: ... applications made to operate wildlife rescue rehabilitation facilities in the Agriculture Zoning District may only be approved if it is determined that the proposal meets the following approval requirements: (1) Wildlife species that are held, treated or cared for at the facility shall be native to the region. (2) Such facilities must at all times be properly authorized and permitted under applicable state and federal law to hold and treat wildlife. (3) Pursuant to WAC 232-12-275, there shall be at least one person in possession of a valid wildlife rehabilitation permit on the facility staff. (4) No building or animal enclosure shall be located closer than 50 feet from the external property lines.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963078; v4 updated 2026-06-23; through 06-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
193) allows wildlife animal rescue hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, including accessory kennels, cages, stables, aviaries, runs and fenced pastures, as a conditional use in the Agriculture District, but only where the hearing examiner finds every approval requirement met. 97 confirms that care of exotic or tropical animal or bird species is prohibited at these facilities. The operation must at all times be properly authorized under state and federal law, and pursuant to WAC 232-12-275 at least one staff member must hold a valid wildlife rehabilitation permit.
No building or animal enclosure may sit closer than 50 feet from the external property lines, and new structures must generally sit on lesser-quality or nonagricultural soils. A waste disposal program approved by the county health department is required, and the hearing examiner must require a detailed nuisance-mitigation program from the applicant, recorded as a condition of the permit, so the facility does not become a public or private nuisance. 662. Mitigation measures such as landscape buffers, special setbacks or screening may be required to reduce land-use conflicts with surrounding farms.
Violations & Fines
As a conditional use under Title 20, a wildlife rescue facility operating outside its approved permit conditions, without the required WAC 232-12-275 rehabilitator on staff, or beyond the 50-foot setback is subject to Chapter 20.94 enforcement: a notice of violation, a civil penalty up to $1,000 per offense per day under § 20.94.030, and permit revocation under § 20.94.070 if the terms of the conditional-use permit are not met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a state permit to run a wildlife rehab facility in unincorporated Whatcom County?
Can a Whatcom County wildlife rescue take in exotic or tropical species?
How close to my property line can I build rescue enclosures?
What review does a new wildlife rescue facility go through?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whatcom County
Compare Whatcom County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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