What Auburn Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Auburn, Washington may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 148 tracked ordinances across 46 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Auburn bans barbed wire fencing outside the P-1, M-1 and M-2 zones, with a one-acre pasture exception, under ACC 18.31.020(G). Electric fences are confined to the RC, R-1, C-2, M-1, M-2, L-F and I zones under ACC 18.31.020(H) and must meet specific voltage, enclosure and signage rules..

Also covered: Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Auburn for details.

Home Business

Home Daycare: Auburn permits home-based (family) daycare as a right in every residential zone under ACC 18.07.020, provided the operator holds a state license and an approved city business license. ACC 18.31.010 caps daycare, preschool and nursery hours in RC, R-1 and R-2 zones to between 5:00 a.m.

Also covered: Cottage Food Operations (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate). See the full home business guide for Auburn for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Auburn follows the Department of Ecology Western Washington Stormwater Manual through ACC Title 13 surface water code, requiring runoff control for new and redeveloped sites in the Green River watershed..

Also covered: Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Flood Zones (strict). See the full environmental rules guide for Auburn for details.

Rental Property Rules

Just Cause Eviction: Washington RCW 59.18.650 requires just cause to terminate most residential tenancies. Auburn landlords must identify one of the 16 statutory grounds and use the state-prescribed notice form before filing eviction..

Also covered: Rental Registration (restrictive), Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Rent Control (permissive). See the full rental property rules guide for Auburn for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Auburn STR operators must obtain a City business license and comply with Washington RCW 64.37 requirements. Platforms verify compliance before listing goes live in many cases..

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Auburn pools must comply with federal VGB Act anti-entrapment drain covers, WAC 246-260 for commercial pools, and building code barriers. Private homeowners should also follow safety best practices..

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Auburn for details.

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Auburn's amended fire code, ACC 15.36A.041(C), mandates automatic sprinklers in most new buildings over 10,000 square feet, taller than 30 feet, or needing more than 2,500 gpm fire flow, plus any new building lacking adequate fire flow or emergency access, with Group R-3 and U buildings exempted from the size trigger..

Also covered: Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate), Building Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Auburn for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Auburn's residential zoning table caps a house at 35 feet in the RC and R-1 zones, rising to 45 feet in R-3 and R-F, and up to 75 feet in the denser R-4 and R-NM zones. The limit is measured under ACC 18.07.030 and applies to the main building, not accessory structures..

Also covered: Lot Coverage Limits (moderate), Setback Rules (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Auburn for details.

Solar Energy

HOA Restrictions: Washington's RCW 64.38.055 and RCW 64.90 limit how Auburn homeowners associations can restrict rooftop solar, protecting reasonable installations from outright bans while allowing design guidelines..

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Auburn rental housing owners and managers must sometimes provide a certificate of inspection under ACC 5.22.057 to keep their city business license in good standing. The inspection, done by a qualified inspector no more than 90 days before certification, checks structure, weather exposure, plumbing, heat, wiring, exits and fire risk..

Animal Ordinances

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..

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Mandatory Spay/Neuter (restrictive), Cat Rules (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Auburn for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone going house to house or place to place selling goods or services in Auburn needs a solicitor's license under ACC 5.20.220, subject to a police chief background check. Every order taken must be written in duplicate, naming the solicitor, their permit number, and the price, with a copy handed to the buyer..

Public Health Rules

Food Handler Certification: Auburn requires every food establishment employee covered by ACC 8.04.010 to hold a valid food handler health record, permit, card or certificate on file with their employer, backed by an annual health exam the health officer can order at any time. King and Pierce County health officers enforce the rule..

Also covered: Rodent Control (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Auburn for details.

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Auburn allows licensed card rooms under Chapter 3.80 ACC, but every operator needs both a Washington State Gambling Commission license and a city business license, and the city taxes social card game receipts at 4% under ACC 3.80.060. Unlicensed operation or unpaid tax is enforced as a misdemeanor under ACC 1.24.010..

Trash & Recycling

Recycling Requirements: Auburn's contracted haulers are the city's exclusive agents for collecting recyclables citywide, though residents may self-haul their own recyclables in their own vehicle and nonprofits may run their own recyclable material collection separately from the city's franchise..

Also covered: Collection Schedule (moderate), Pickup Rules & Schedules (moderate), Recycling Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Auburn for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Auburn taxes gross receipts by classification under ACC 3.53.040: 0.10% on extracting and manufacturing, 0.18% on wholesaling, 0.05% on retailing, 0.15% on retail services, and 0.10% on the catch-all service and other classification. Businesses under $500,000 in company-wide gross receipts owe nothing..

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: Auburn's tight outdoor-burning law makes one clean carve-out for cooking: ACC 8.32.030 exempts domestic barbecues, smokers and similar outdoor cooking devices from the fire chief's burning permit requirement entirely..

Filming & Production

Street Closures: Filming that closes a public street in Auburn needs a special event permit under ACC 2.23. The staff review committee can condition the permit on advance notice to residents and businesses before any whole or partial street closure, including single-lane closures..

Also covered: Location Permits (restrictive), Production Noise (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Auburn for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Auburn bars anyone under 18 from public places or business premises between midnight and 6:00 a.m. under ACC Chapter 9.10, with civil infractions for the juvenile, an unsupervising parent, or a business that lets a minor stay after curfew..

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Auburn for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Towing Companies: Auburn tow truck operators must run 24/7, reach a collision scene within 5 minutes by day or 10 by night, and get there within 20 minutes, under ACC 5.20.240. Licensees need at least three qualifying trucks and a storage yard meeting Washington's RTTO standards within five miles of the city..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Auburn for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Auburn levies a 1% special excise tax on lodging charged by hotels, motels, rooming houses, tourist courts and trailer camps under ACC 3.58.010, layered on top of the state sales tax collected under Chapter 82.08 RCW. The Washington Department of Revenue collects it as the city's agent, and violators face fines up to $5,000 and a year in jail under ACC 3.58.060..

Fire Regulations

Smoke Detectors: Auburn follows the 2021 IFC under ACC 15.36. Smoke alarms required in each bedroom, outside sleep areas, every level.

Also covered: Outdoor Burning (restrictive), Fireworks (restrictive), Propane Storage (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Auburn for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Auburn requires a Type C right-of-way use permit to run a sidewalk vending cart selling food, beverages, flowers, plants, or merchandise from public right-of-way. The permit is revocable if the abutting property owner withdraws written consent, and vending cannot include alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or fire-code-restricted goods..

Also covered: Vending Zones (moderate), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Auburn for details.

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Auburn has no standing odd/even watering-day schedule. Instead, the mayor can order water use restrictions and conservation measures under ACC 13.14.020 during a drought, utility damage, or other threat to supply, subject to city council ratification, with violations enforced as civil infractions or, on repeat, misdemeanors..

Also covered: Composting (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Auburn for details.

Public Conduct

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Auburn bans smoking, vaping, and all tobacco use in every city park except its golf courses under ACC 2.22.085. The rule covers e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, cigars, pipes, and hookahs alike, and it doesn't matter whether the product burns or just produces vapor: if it emits smoke or contains tobacco, it's illegal in the park..

Also covered: Public Urination (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Auburn for details.

Noise Ordinances

Vehicle Noise: Auburn bans frequent or continuous horn and siren sounds except danger warnings, disruptive engine starting, repair, rebuilding or testing noise in residential districts, tire squealing from rapid acceleration or braking, and nonemergency vehicle sounds audible past 25 feet that repeatedly annoy two or more neighbors, especially between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Also covered: Construction Hours (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Auburn for details.

Parking Rules

RV & Boat Parking: Auburn caps unpermitted recreational-vehicle parking in the public right-of-way at 24 hours and bans overnight occupancy of a parked RV under ACC 10.36.191. Residents can get a permit letting an RV sit up to three consecutive days, capped at two permits per property per year, but violations carry a $250.00 fine per day..

Also covered: Loading Zones (moderate), Preferential Parking Districts (moderate), EV Charging (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Auburn for details.

Special Events & Permits

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés: Auburn requires a Type C right-of-way use permit before a restaurant or cafe can put tables and chairs on the sidewalk outside its building. The city engineer reviews insurance, bonding and encroachment details under Chapter 12.60 ACC, and approval can be revoked for code violations, changed use, or fraud in the application..

Also covered: Block Party Permits (moderate), Parade Permits (moderate), Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Auburn for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Auburn adopts its downtown Auburn design standards by reference under ACC 18.29.070, giving the community development director authority to apply them to every DUC-zoned project. New buildings in the DUC Core 75, Core 125 and H-W districts must rise at least two full stories, and freestanding signs are banned except monument signs..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Auburn for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Auburn has no landmarks commission of its own; instead ACC 15.76.020 designates the King County landmarks and heritage commission to act as the city's landmarks body, with an Auburn-appointed special member reviewing local designation and appropriateness decisions..

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Auburn inspectors can enter any building served by city water to look for leaky pipes or fixtures wasting water, and once the city serves written notice, the owner or occupant has seven days to make repairs or the city shuts the water off. Refusing inspection access triggers its own fee..

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: Auburn bars any driver from stopping, standing or parking a vehicle within a marked bicycle lane under ACC 10.36.270(A)(23), one of 29 listed no-parking locations citywide. Blocking a bike lane is a $30.00 parking infraction, and separate rules in Chapter 10.56 ACC govern how a bicyclist must ride and whether a helmet is required..

Also covered: Red-Light Cameras (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Auburn for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Generator Noise: Running a generator or other internal combustion engine in an Auburn residential district violates ACC 8.28.010(B)(2) if it creates frequent, repetitive or continuous sound that unreasonably disturbs neighbors' peace and comfort. The rule covers starting, operating, repairing, rebuilding or testing the engine, with civil penalties starting at $250 and a misdemeanor after repeat violations..

Also covered: Car Alarm Limits (moderate), Bar & Nightclub Noise (moderate), Delivery Truck Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Auburn for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Sidewalk Repair: Under ACC 12.12.232 and 12.12.234, the property owner abutting a public sidewalk, not the city, bears the cost of maintaining and repairing it, including clearing debris, moss, snow and ice and fixing any artificial turf strip, unless the city engineer determines otherwise..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Auburn for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Auburn lets a religious organization host a homeless encampment on its property only under a detailed sanitation and site plan approved by the city: portable toilets, hand-washing stations, refuse enclosures, a proven water source, and a mandatory site cleanup within seven days of the encampment's end..

Also covered: Sit-Lie Rules (restrictive). See the full homelessness & encampment rules guide for Auburn for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Auburn requires city engineer permission before anyone plants or removes a tree or shrub in a public parking strip under ACC 12.36.030. ACC 12.36.040 bans specific species and sets minimum distances from sidewalks, pavement and sewer lines..

Invasive Plant Rules

Tree-of-Heaven Removal: Auburn's street tree code, ACC 12.36.040, names ailanthus, the tree of heaven, among the species it is unlawful to plant in any public parking strip because its roots damage sewers, sidewalks and pavement, and the city engineer enforces the ban citywide..

Also covered: Prohibited Species (moderate). See the full invasive plant rules guide for Auburn for details.

Property Maintenance

Vacant Lot Maintenance: Auburn requires owners to register any property that sits vacant for more than 30 days under ACC 15.20.100, then keep it secured, lit, winterized and free of overgrown vegetation. Properties under a current rental business license or occupied part-time by the owner are exempt.

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate), Property Blight (restrictive). See the full property maintenance guide for Auburn for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Auburn allows two ADUs per residential lot outright in any residential zone that permits single-unit detached or middle housing, capping each unit between 300 and 1,000 square feet with no more than two bedrooms, attached, detached, or a mix of both..

Also covered: Garage Conversions (moderate), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Auburn for details.

Sign Regulations

Freeway-Facing Signs: Auburn bans billboards outright citywide: the large off-premises advertising signs typically aimed at freeway traffic cannot be erected or placed anywhere in the city under the sign code's list of prohibited signs..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Digital Billboards (restrictive), Political Signs (permissive). See the full sign regulations guide for Auburn for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Auburn requires every outdoor light fixture to be shielded on all sides so the bulb itself cannot be seen from or beyond the property line, and caps illumination spilling onto neighboring residential land at one-tenth of a foot-candle..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Auburn for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Buffer Zones: Auburn requires marijuana retailers to sit at least 1,320 feet from residential zones and one mile from another marijuana retailer, with additional 2,640-foot and 1,320-foot buffers from schools, parks, and other sensitive uses under ACC 18.59.030..

Also covered: Dispensary Zoning (restrictive). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Auburn for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Auburn exempts garage and yard sales from home occupation permitting only if they run no more than 20 days total in a calendar year and involve only household goods that were not bought for resale, under ACC 18.60.030..

Holiday Decorations

Lawn Ornament Rules: Auburn exempts temporary holiday lighting from its outdoor lighting chapter entirely, so seasonal light displays are not subject to the shielding, height or foot-candle limits that apply to permanent fixtures..

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Auburn's residential conservancy (RC) zone allows a defined list of agricultural enterprise uses on parcels of at least 10 acres, but only under an administrative or conditional use permit tied to how much of the site stays in active farming and how many events it hosts..

HOA Rules

Board Procedures: Washington RCW 64.90 (WUCIOA) governs HOA board procedures for associations formed after July 2018. Boards must hold open meetings, keep records, and follow notice rules..

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Auburn, buying a home, or starting a project, use this as a starting point. Each category links to detailed pages with the full text, penalties, and FAQs. Verify anything time-sensitive with Auburn's city hall or code enforcement office.