Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Public Health Rules

Tacoma's Public Health Rules: The Rules That Matter

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

Every city handles public health rules a little differently. In Tacoma, Washington, there are 2 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.

Rodent Control

Tacoma requires every basement, wall, dock, warehouse, and residence to be built or repaired to keep rats out, and all stored food kept rat-proof, under Chapter 5.38's Rat Prevention ordinance.

Key details: Basements/walls: Must be rat-proofed with approved material. Food storage: Must be protected from rat access. Traps: Required, inspected daily (§ 5.38.040). Enforcement: Director of Health.

Failing to rat-proof a building, leaving food unprotected, or not maintaining required traps violates Chapter 5.38 and is enforceable by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department against the owner, lessee, or occupant.

Syringe Disposal

Tacoma bars used needles and other home sharps from ordinary recycling bins and, where curbside sharps pickup exists, from trash cans too: sharps must go into a dedicated sharps waste container under TMC § 5.04.045.

Key details: Container required: Dedicated sharps waste container. Recycling bin: Prohibited unless sharps-designated. Trash disposal: Barred if collection service available. Collector standard: Must meet RCW 70.95K. Maximum penalty: $5,000 fine, 1 year jail.

Violating any provision of Chapter 5.04, including the sharps-disposal standards, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $5,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both, with each day counted as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Tacoma's public health rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Tacoma is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Tacoma can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.