Auburn's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Auburn, Washington, there are 13 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Pet Limits

Auburn caps household pets at four dogs, four cats, or any combination totaling four, per ACC 6.04.040. The cap does not apply to humane societies, animal shelters, veterinary hospitals or compliant kennels, and violations draw a $50 infraction.

Key details: Governing section: ACC 6.04.040. Household pet cap: 4 dogs, 4 cats, or 4 combined. Cross-reference: ACC 18.31.230 (zoning). Exempt facilities: Shelters, vet hospitals, compliant kennels. Penalty: $50.00 infraction.

Exceeding the four-animal limit is a Class 1 infraction priced at $50.00 under ACC 6.01.210(B), and the same overage is separately actionable as a violation of the zoning code under ACC 18.31.230 through code enforcement, meaning an over-limit household can face action on two fronts for one violation.

Bird Protection

Auburn makes it a misdemeanor to shoot, trap, kill or otherwise molest robins, larks, sparrows, wrens and other songbirds or insectivorous birds within city limits, including their nests, eggs or young. The rule sits in the city's general animal-cruelty chapter alongside state nongame-bird protections.

Key details: Governing section: ACC 6.20.070. Protected species: 16 named songbirds, plus catch-all. Also covers: Nests, eggs and young. Penalty class: Misdemeanor (ACC 6.20.080). Max penalty: 90 days jail, $1,000 fine.

A violation of Chapter 6.20, including ACC 6.20.070, is a misdemeanor under ACC 6.20.080, enforced per the citywide criminal penalty schedule in ACC 1.24.010: up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Each bird injured, killed or possessed can support a separate charge.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Auburn actively enforces its bird protection requirements.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Auburn bans owning an unaltered dog or cat over six months old unless the owner holds a city unaltered-animal license, per ACC 6.04.050. Guide-dog puppies in training and police service dogs are exempt, and any shelter dog or cat over six months must be altered before adoption.

Key details: Governing section: ACC 6.04.050. Alteration required by age: 6 months. Exempt animals: Guide-dog puppies in training, police service dogs. Compliance option: Unaltered animal license (ACC 6.04.070). Shelter adoptions: Must be altered before transfer.

Owning an unaltered dog or cat over six months without the required unaltered animal license is enforced as an infraction under the ACC 6.01.210(B) penalty schedule tied to Chapter 6.04's licensing violations, and the animal remains subject to seizure and impoundment under the title's general enforcement authority. An unaltered pet adopted from the shelter that is later found not spayed or neutered before transfer exposes the shelter's transfer to noncompliance with ACC 6.04.050(B).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Auburn actively enforces its mandatory spay/neuter requirements.

Cat Rules

Auburn cats need a current city license after 8 weeks old under ACC 6.04.010, and a female cat in heat must be confined so she cannot reach a male, per ACC 6.02.020, or she can be seized, impounded and ordered spayed regardless of any prior impound history.

Key details: Heat confinement rule: ACC 6.02.020. Licensing rule: ACC 6.04.010. License required from age: 8 weeks. Heat-violation penalty (1st/4th): $50.00 / $250.00. Unlicensed cat penalty: $50.00 flat.

Failing to confine a cat in heat carries a graduated Class 1 infraction: $50.00 first offense, $100.00 second, $200.00 third, $250.00 for a fourth and any later offense within a rolling 12 months (ACC 6.01.210(B), row 6.02.020). Failing to license a cat is a flat $50.00 infraction (ACC 6.01.210(B), row 6.04.010), and failing to display the license or allow a microchip scan is a separate $50.00 infraction.

Microchipping

Auburn will not release a repeat-impounded dog or cat until it is microchipped. Under ACC 6.01.100(A), if an un-microchipped dog or cat has been impounded before in the last 24 months, the animal control officer can order microchipping before redemption, at the owner's cost.

Key details: Governing section: ACC 6.01.100. Trigger: Second impound of un-microchipped pet in 24 months. Who orders it: Animal control officer. Cost: Paid by owner at redemption. Appeal window: 72 hours of impound notice.

An owner who does not comply with a microchipping order cannot redeem the animal; unredeemed animals become shelter property after 72 hours and may be euthanized or disposed of after 120 hours under ACC 6.01.070. Appealing the order costs a nonrefundable $100.00 fee plus a $250.00 cash deposit, and the owner remains liable for impound and procedure costs no matter how the appeal is decided (ACC 6.01.100(D)).

Dog Leash Laws

Any dog off its owner's property in Auburn must be on a leash or chain no longer than eight feet, controlled by the owner or another competent, authorized person, under ACC 6.02.040. Violations run $50 to $250 on a graduated, rolling 12-month schedule.

Key details: Governing section: ACC 6.02.040. Maximum leash/chain length: 8 feet. 1st offense fine: $50.00. 4th+ offense fine: $250.00. Off-leash exceptions: Designated areas, special events, private owner OK.

ACC 6.01.210(B) prices an off-leash dog on a graduated Class 1 infraction schedule measured on a rolling 12-month basis: $50.00 for a first offense, $100.00 for a second, $200.00 for a third, and $250.00 for a fourth or later offense. A dog seized for being off leash may also be impounded, requiring the owner to pay redemption and boarding fees under ACC 6.01.070 within 72 hours or risk the animal becoming shelter property.

Breed Restrictions

Auburn does not ban dogs by breed; instead the animal control authority declares individual dogs "dangerous" based on their conduct, then requires a $250,000 bond or insurance policy, a secure enclosure and a $500 yearly registration fee before the owner may keep the dog in the city.

Key details: Governing chapter: ACC 6.35, Dangerous Dogs. Declaration basis: Individual conduct, not breed. Insurance/bond required: $250,000 minimum. Annual registration fee: $500.00. Microchip deadline: 30 days after declaration.

Failing to register, insure or properly confine a declared dangerous dog is a gross misdemeanor under ACC 6.35.040 and ACC 9.02.030, and the dog can be confiscated immediately; if the owner does not correct the deficiency within 20 days, the animal control authority destroys the dog. Potentially dangerous dog registration lapses are a misdemeanor under ACC 6.35.035 and ACC 9.02.040, and carry a $100 annual re-registration fee after a repeat incident.

This is one of the stricter rules in Auburn's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Wildlife Feeding

Feeding any wild bird or animal in an Auburn city park is unlawful under ACC 2.22.130, along with touching, molesting, or offering wildlife tobacco, alcohol, or anything else known to be dangerous or noxious. The rule protects park wildlife from harassment and unsafe handouts, and violators face a civil infraction.

Key details: Prohibited conduct: feeding, touching, or molesting wild birds/animals. Also banned: giving wildlife tobacco, drink, or noxious items. Applies in: all city of Auburn parks. Related rule: dogs/cats leashed to 8 feet, ACC 2.22.120. Violation penalty: Class 1 civil infraction, Ch. 7.80 RCW.

Violating ACC 2.22.130 constitutes a Class 1 civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW, the park code's mid-level infraction class. An officer who stops someone for feeding or molesting park wildlife can detain them for a reasonable period to verify identity and check for outstanding warrants under ACC 2.22.250. If a fed or harassed animal ends up damaging park property, ACC 2.22.140 separately makes the animal's owner liable for the full repair or replacement cost plus impounding fees.

Compared to other cities, Auburn takes a harder line on wildlife feeding. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Auburn's zoning code confines veterinary clinics and small animal hospitals to commercial and light-industrial land. Table 18.23.030 permits them outright in the C-1, C-2, C-AG and M-1 zones but bars them entirely from the M-2 heavy industrial zone. There is no administrative or conditional path around the M-2 prohibition.

Key details: Permitted outright: C-1, C-2, C-AG, M-1 zones. Prohibited zone: M-2 heavy industrial. Governing table: ACC 18.23.030. Definition section: ACC 18.04.480. Kennels regulated separately: ACC 18.04.510.

Operating a veterinary clinic or small animal hospital in the M-2 heavy industrial zone, or in a zone not authorized by Table 18.23.030 or the residential use table (ACC 18.07.020), constitutes an unpermitted land use subject to code enforcement by the Auburn Community Development & Public Works Department, which can require cessation of the use and denial or revocation of business licensing and permits tied to the site.

Pet Groomer Rules

Auburn zones pet grooming under Animal Sales and Services, ACC 18.57.040(B), which caps overnight boarding, restricts outdoor dog runs to 8am-6pm and 50 feet from homes, and requires services be limited to household pets.

Key details: Governing zoning use: Animal Sales and Services, ACC 18.57.040(B). Outdoor run setback: 50 feet from a home. Outdoor run hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. Overnight boarding cap (large retail): 15% of floor area over 20,000 sq ft. Home-based grooming: Requires special permit, ACC 18.60.040(A)(5).

An animal sales and services or grooming facility that operates an outdoor run within 50 feet of a home, runs the outdoor run outside the 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. window, or lets animal sound or smell carry onto neighboring lots violates ACC 18.57.040(B) and is subject to zoning code enforcement; a home-based grooming operation that skips the special home occupation permit required by ACC 18.60.040(A)(5) is operating without required land use approval.

Beekeeping

Auburn permits up to two honeybee hives as an accessory use on lots under 10,000 square feet, but every hive must be registered with the State Department of Agriculture and kept at least 25 feet from any property line, entrance facing away from it.

Key details: Max hives: 2 on lots under 10,000 sq. ft.. Swarms per hive: Only 1 swarm each. Property line setback: 25 feet minimum. State registration: Required with WSDA. Permitted use type: Accessory to single-unit detached home only.

Keeping unregistered hives, exceeding two hives on a sub-10,000-square-foot lot, or placing a hive closer than 25 feet to a property line is a zoning violation under ACC 18.31.220(F), and no variance or waiver is available for noncompliant apiaries under this section.

Chickens & Livestock

Auburn allows up to four domestic fowl on a 6,000-square-foot lot, with one more bird per extra 2,000 square feet up to a 10-bird cap; roosters and peafowl are banned outright, and coops must sit in the rear yard, set back 10 feet from side and rear lines.

Key details: Domestic fowl base allowance: 4 birds on 6,000 sq. ft. lot. Max fowl per lot: 10 (no cap in RC/R-1 zones). Banned species: Roosters and peafowl. Coop setback: 10 feet from rear/side lines. Miniature goats: 2 on lots of 12,500+ sq. ft..

A structure or yard area that fails to meet the setback requirements triggers a written city notice, and the owner has 30 days to bring the property into compliance; an extension may be requested in writing from the community development and public works director, whose decision is final. Exceeding lot-size-based bird or animal caps is a zoning violation with no variance available under ACC 18.31.220.

Exotic Pets

Auburn follows Washington RCW 16.30 banning private ownership of dangerous wild animals (big cats, bears, non-human primates, venomous reptiles). ACC 6.02 adds local enforcement. Ferrets are legal.

Key details: State Law: RCW 16.30. Prohibited: Big cats, bears, primates. Allowed Small: Ferrets, common reptiles. Code: ACC 6.02.

Possession of a prohibited dangerous wild animal is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 16.30 with immediate seizure and criminal prosecution. Auburn can also issue civil infractions under ACC 6.02.

This is one of the stricter rules in Auburn's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Auburn is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 13 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Auburn, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Auburn's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.