Bothell, WA

In the City of Bothell, Washington, owners and occupants must trim vegetation that overhangs any sidewalk within seven feet, measured vertically, and vegetation that encroaches on or…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Chapter 8.24 measures weeds and grass by hazard, not by a stated height. Owners and occupants must destroy, remove or trim vegetation that is a…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, nobody can clear land or conduct a forest practice without first obtaining a forest practices/land clearing permit under Bothell Municipal Code §…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, required landscaping on new development is built from a plant list adopted by the community development director, and the city can require Pacific…

Unincorporated King County's landscaping code treats stored rainwater as an approved 'alternative water source' for required irrigation and exempts rainwater-fed outlets from the…

Unincorporated King County's litter and dumping law carves out backyard composting: King County Code § 10.04.080(B)(1) says a compost pile or bin is never an unlawful accumulation of…

Washington Department of Ecology administers water rights and may issue drought emergency orders that override local outdoor watering practices statewide.

In the City of Bothell, Washington, the Bothell Police Department cannot issue a residential parking permit for any commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds licensed gross vehicle weight…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a car, truck, boat, trailer or RV that is extensively damaged or apparently inoperable, worth only its scrap, and not validly licensed or registered…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a vehicle left on a highway is limited to 24 hours, and a lawfully parked vehicle can stay up to 72 hours. Signed streets add their own posted time…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, no one can stand or park within five feet of a driveway entrance, and a vehicle on a roadway must sit parallel to the edge, headed in the direction…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, no one can park a trailer, including a boat trailer, camping trailer, house trailer or utility trailer, in an alley or on any city street or way…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, streets posted for permit parking require a valid residential or visitor parking permit, and no one can park there in violation of the sign. Bothell…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.06.180(B)(7) permits electric vehicle charging stations as an accessory use to any permitted primary use. Charging stations count toward the…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, every business building built or enlarged after the rule took effect needs an off-street loading space adjacent to it if the use involves deliveries…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, all vehicle parking and storage on a residential lot must be on an approved hard surface with direct, unobstructed driveway access. A single-family…

Unincorporated King County designates certain arterials and school bus routes as snow emergency routes: the roads plowed and sanded first when winter weather hits, ahead of…

The county traffic engineer picks where loading zones, passenger-loading zones, and tow-away zones go on county roads and marks them with signs or words stenciled right on the curb…

Washington caps what a private-property tow can cost. Under RCW 46.55.118, a class A, D or E tow truck operator's filed hourly towing rate cannot exceed 135 percent of the State…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, no one can own or harbor a cat or dog over six months old that is not spayed or neutered unless the owner holds an unaltered animal license. Animals…

The City of Bothell, Washington, bans knowingly possessing, breeding, importing, exporting, bartering, buying or selling any exotic animal. Exotic animals include nonhuman primates…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, every cat eight weeks old or older that is kept in the city must be licensed and registered annually under BMC 6.08.010. A cat over six months old…

BMC 6.12.040 makes it unlawful in the City of Bothell, Washington, to feed wildlife in a way that creates an environment for rats and unsanitary conditions. The rule is a single…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, microchipping is required for dogs declared dangerous. BMC 6.14.030(C)(3) makes proof that the animal has been microchipped, with the microchip…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a residential dwelling unit can keep three or fewer adult dogs and three or fewer adult cats, and any combination of adult dogs and adult cats shall…

Bothell's dog rules in BMC Chapter 6.14 turn on conduct, not breed. The animal control authority can declare a dog potentially dangerous on probable cause, the owner can appeal to the…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, any dog running at large, including any dog not controlled by leash, is a nuisance under BMC 6.16.010(B) unless securely contained by a kennel…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, hobby beekeeping needs no city permit under BMC 12.06.190(B)(4), but lots of 10,000 square feet or less are capped at four hives, larger lots add…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, chickens are tied to lot size under BMC 12.06.140: none below 5,000 square feet, up to five on 5,000 to 7,200 square feet, and up to eight on 7,200…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, veterinary clinics are a permitted use in the OP, NB, CB, GC and LI zones under BMC § 12.06.050, and kennels are conditional in R-C and permitted in…

Unincorporated King County has no ban on retail dog or cat sales: pet shops can sell commercially sourced animals. But every pet shop, animal shelter, hobby kennel, and hobby cattery…

Unincorporated King County protects active nests of bald eagles, ospreys, peregrine falcons, marbled murrelets, spotted owls, great blue herons and other species by drawing a…

Unincorporated King County requires pet grooming services to hold an operating permit under County Code chapter 11.04 before opening; running one without the permit after a prior…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, construction noise is allowed Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday construction noise…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, amplified music and audio equipment become a public nuisance when the sound is audible more than 75 feet from its source. The rule reaches car…

Chapter 8.26 of the Bothell Municipal Code sets no single citywide curfew for all noise. BMC 8.26.060(D) singles out yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on or near public…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, motor vehicle noise is regulated three ways: BMC 8.26.080 adopts the state standards in WAC 173-62-060(1) through (4) for vehicles on any public…

Unincorporated King County limits industrial-source sound to 70 dB(A) reaching other industrial land, tapering to 65 dB(A) into commercial areas, 60 dB(A) into residential zones and 57…

In unincorporated King County, noise from aircraft and helicopters in flight, plus airport flight operations, is fully exempt from the county noise ordinance's maximum sound level and…

In unincorporated King County, a pet making noise to an unreasonable degree that disturbs a person or neighborhood is a declared public nuisance, backed by civil penalties and…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, family day care is a permitted use under BMC 12.06.140, but only with a state license under Chapter 74.15 RCW. The home must meet building, fire…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, home occupations are permitted in the residential zones under BMC 12.06.140(B)(8), not in OP, NB, CB, GC or LI. The business must stay subordinate…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a home occupation can have on-site client contact under BMC 12.06.140(B)(8)(d) only if all activity stays inside the home or accessory building…

Unincorporated King County caps home occupation and home industry signs at one nonilluminated wall sign, no bigger than 10% of the facade it's mounted on.

Washington runs a cottage food permit through the state Department of Agriculture, not through the local health district. Under RCW 69.22.030 the permit is issued for two years and…

Washington has no microenterprise home kitchen permit. WAC 246-215-08300 bars operating a food establishment without a permit from the local health jurisdiction, and the one permit…

Every outdoor swimming pool in the City of Bothell, Washington, must be enclosed by a fence not less than five feet high, strong enough to resist penetration by children and difficult…

The City of Bothell, Washington requires residential pools and spas to be designed and built under the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, adopted in Bothell Municipal Code…

The City of Bothell, Washington, bans selling fireworks and igniting or discharging them anywhere in the city. Narrow exceptions cover permitted public displays, religious use…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, recreational fires must stay 25 feet from a structure or combustible material, and portable outdoor fireplaces 15 feet, except at one- and…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.067 amends International Fire Code Section 6104.2 to cap any one liquefied petroleum gas installation in the Downtown…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.061 amends International Fire Code Section 907.2.10 to require UL 217 smoke alarms inside dwelling units built after…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, open burning is prohibited under a permanent ban set by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency in September of 1992, with recreational fires…

Unincorporated King County lets homeowners clear brush and prune trees near a house for wildfire safety without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distance limits set by county…

Unincorporated King County allows limited tree and brush clearing near homes for wildfire preparedness without a clearing and grading permit, including clearing up to 100 feet with a…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.130 limits accessory buildings in residential zones to five percent of the lot area and to 20 feet in height or the height of the primary…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.135(G) bars the city from assessing impact fees on an accessory dwelling unit that are greater than 50 percent of the impact fees imposed…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.135 allows two accessory dwelling units per lot, each up to 1,200 square feet. Detached units are capped at 30 feet in height, or 33 feet…

Washington allows tiny houses on permanent foundations under IRC Appendix Q (adopted in the state building code) for dwellings 400 square feet or less. RCW 35.21.686 governs tiny…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, retaining structures inside rear and front yard setbacks cannot exceed four feet and side yard setbacks cannot exceed six feet. Outside the setbacks…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a fence or freestanding wall of six feet or less in nominal height can go up without a setback wherever no landscape buffer is required. Anything…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, electric fences are allowed only in residential zones and only for raising and keeping animals or pasturing, with warning signs every 50 feet…

Unincorporated King County exempts fences up to 6 feet tall from a building permit under King County Code § 16.02.240, the county's local substitute for Section 105.2 of the…

Washington's partition fence law requires adjoining landowners using a boundary fence for livestock to share construction and maintenance costs equitably under RCW 16.60.

Washington requires short-term rental operators to maintain at least $1 million in primary liability insurance, or to operate through a platform providing equivalent coverage, under…

Washington imposes statewide sales tax and lodging taxes on short-term rental stays under 30 days. Operators must register with the Department of Revenue, collect applicable taxes, and…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, anyone who initiates, promotes or participates in a parade on city streets needs a permit from the chief of police. Bothell Municipal Code §…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, anyone who holds a street fair, festival or similar gathering on public property needs a city special event permit first. The permit is required…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, holding, sponsoring or participating in any formal gathering in a city park or park building requires a written permit under BMC § 8.60.040. A fee…

Outdoor dining furniture goes on a public sidewalk in the City of Bothell, Washington under a public area use permit issued by the director of public works, with a minimum of five feet…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, an adult entertainment facility needs a business license from the city clerk, its managers need manager's licenses, and entertainers need…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, it is unlawful to operate as a pawnbroker without a city license. Pawnbrokers are held to a three percent monthly interest ceiling, a 90-day hold on…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a secondhand dealer is any person who buys, sells, trades, pawns, auctions or consigns secondhand goods as a business, and must hold a city license…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a tow company takes Bothell Police Department tow calls only with a letter of appointment from the chief of police. BMC § 8.68.090 requires arrival…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.06.140(B)(8)(e) prohibits automobile, truck, boat and heavy equipment repair as a home occupation, along with body work, painting or…

Unincorporated King County requires any store selling cigarettes or other tobacco products, including vape and e-cigarette retailers, to hold a $210, three-year county tobacco license…

Unincorporated King County requires a separate license for every massage business, public bathhouse, and individual massage practitioner before any massage is performed.

In the City of Bothell, Washington, carts go two feet apart and at least three feet from cars, trees, mailboxes and fences, with wheels as close to the curb as possible and lids…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a recycling or organics cart with visible contamination gets a notification tag and can be rejected or dumped as garbage. The customer can be…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, yard debris means leaves, grass, and clippings of woody and fleshy plants. Material larger than four inches in diameter or four feet in length is…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, the city-contracted collector must provide every customer three carts: garbage, recycling, and organics for yard debris or food scraps. Only the…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, dumping litter in public or on someone else's private property is a civil infraction: a Class 3 infraction with a maximum of $50.00 for up to one…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, every person is required to use a city-licensed solid waste hauler, or the city's own service. Failing to maintain service is a civil infraction at…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, single-family homes get one pickup per week covering garbage, recyclables and yard debris in contractor-provided wheeled carts. Residential…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, residential and commercial customers must use contractor-provided wheeled carts for garbage, recycling or organics, with at least one rigid…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, every development other than single-family residential must provide storage space for garbage and recyclables, sized per 1,000 square feet of floor…

Certificated haulers in unincorporated King County must set their own holiday schedule and tell the county and customers about it in advance: King County Code § 10.18.010(E)(2)…

Unincorporated King County has no curbside bulky-item pickup in its code; residents self-haul large items and appliances to county transfer stations, where drop box loads are capped at…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, the City Council levies a special excise tax on lodging of one percent in the King County portion of the city and two percent in the Snohomish…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, junk, trash, litter, discarded lumber, broken furniture and appliances, and vegetation that is a fire, health or safety hazard are public nuisances…

The City of Bothell, Washington adopts the 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings and the 1997 Uniform Housing Code in BMC Title 20. Separately, BMC 8.24.050 F…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, the park rules define aircraft to include drones. Under BMC § 8.60.320 no aircraft can land on or take off from any water or land area in a Bothell…

Commercial drone operations in Washington are governed by FAA Part 107, with state law adding criminal liability for invasive uses and limited authority over state-owned land.

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Chapter 10.65 of the Bothell Municipal Code authorizes automated traffic safety cameras for stoplight violations and school speed zone violations…

King County's traffic code regulates every motorized foot scooter operated on unincorporated county roads, alleys, trails and park property, including shared and dockless units. Riders…

In unincorporated King County, a transportation network company vehicle may not stop, stand or park on a county road except in a designated taxicab stand, unless it is briefly stopped…

King County Code lets Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes use regional trails and paved pathways in county parks, but bans Class 3 e-bikes from every trail and pathway in park areas.

Washington splits small street-legal vehicles into three statutory classes by top speed, and the rules for each are different. A golf cart tops out at 20 mph and may use public streets…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, alcoholic beverages are prohibited in city parks under BMC § 8.60.380, with one exception: the parks and recreation director can issue permits for…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, it is unlawful to use tobacco products in any city park, sports field, or park building, including picnic shelters. BMC § 8.60.255 names cigarettes…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, skateboarding, rollerblading and scooter use are unlawful in any park area where signs are posted prohibiting them. BMC § 8.60.385 ties the offense…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, loitering is a gross misdemeanor when a person knowingly lingers in or near a prohibited area or any public place in a manner reasonably believed to…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, intentionally urinating or defecating in a public place, other than a washroom or toilet room, where a member of the public could observe it is an…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, pedestrians cannot cross the roadway between intersections in the central business district, on any arterial, or between adjacent intersections…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, opening or consuming cannabis products in view of the general public or in a public place is enforced through adoption, not a standalone Bothell…

Unincorporated King County treats a loud house party as a public disturbance noise violation, and the person in possession of the property, not just whoever is making the racket, is…

Bothell sorts taxable utility businesses into classes under BMC 5.08.020 and taxes each class on gross income. Refuse collection is taxed at five percent, while water, sewage, storm…

King County levies a 1% tax on vehicle parking charges at the stadium and exhibition center owned by the Washington State Public Stadium Authority, rising to 10% once construction…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, vegetation or refuse that provides a harborage for wild rats or other pests is a health hazard under the public nuisance chapter. BMC 8.24.050 H…

The City of Bothell, Washington, prohibits social card games in nonprofit organizations, cardrooms, and businesses primarily engaged in selling food or drink for consumption on the…

Washington exempts bona fide charitable and nonprofit organizations from Gambling Commission licensing when raffle, bingo, or amusement-game revenue stays under $5,000 a year…

Washington law defines a "player" under RCW 9.46.0265 as someone who gambles on equal terms with no profit beyond personal winnings. A private card game among friends is legal without…

Sports betting is legal in Washington only at tribal casinos operating under a class III gaming compact amended to include it, as RCW 9.46.0364 authorizes following ESHB 2638 (2020 c…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, city parks open 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset. No one can be in a Bothell park after closing without written…

Washington does not impose a statewide juvenile curfew; cities may enact local curfews under general police powers, subject to constitutional limits.

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 11.20.003 makes it unlawful to use land or a structure without required permits, to exceed a permit, to deface a posted notice, to lie on a…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a code complaint runs through the director under BMC § 11.20.005: the director shall investigate any structure, property or use reasonably believed…

The City of Bothell, Washington sets no fixed number of days for compliance in BMC § 11.20.006. The director weighs five criteria to set a reasonable time, and where health, safety or…

The City of Bothell, Washington names its noxious vegetation in the code: gorse, Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, giant hogweed, tansy ragwort, knapweed and Dalmatian toadflax…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC § 12.14.240 lists minimizing off-site light trespass as a purpose of its exterior lighting rules and defines it as unwanted light that falls on…

BMC 12.14.240 regulates exterior lighting in the City of Bothell, Washington to cut light trespass, glare, and sky glow. It sets curfews that dim parking lot lighting to 25 or 50…

Unincorporated King County allows billboards to be illuminated, but light sources must sit no farther from the sign than its height and can't shine directly into homes or streets.

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a private residential dock serving four or fewer homes is allowed only on the Sammamish River, as a ramp and a parallel float. Docks are prohibited…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a new or substantially improved residential building in a mapped flood zone with a known base flood elevation must have its lowest floor, including…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, no one can add to, extend or improve the storm drainage system without a permit. The Bothell storm water and drainage control code, Chapter 18.04…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, special flood hazard areas are lands with a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year, mapped in the FEMA flood insurance studies…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, every grading activity must follow a city-approved erosion and sedimentation control plan and the Storm Water and Drainage Control Code. The public…

Unincorporated King County lets property owners clear brush and prune trees for wildfire defensible space without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distances from the house set…

Washington's Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58) requires Shoreline Substantial Development Permits for most construction within 200 feet of marine and freshwater shorelines statewide.

Vendor carts can operate on public sidewalks in the City of Bothell, Washington only with a public area use permit, five feet of sidewalk kept clear, and visibility preserved at…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a vendor truck is a permitted use in the OP, NB, CB, GC and LI zones under BMC § 12.06.060, must be no larger than eight feet wide by 30 feet long…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, vendor carts and trucks are a permitted use in the OP, NB, CB, GC and LI zones, and ice cream vendors are permitted in every zone. A vendor truck…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, the Bothell City Council lets shoreline residential and high intensity properties add dwelling units or lots in exchange for a new public trail…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Chapter 12.64 of the Bothell Municipal Code sets the Downtown Subarea regulations that govern all future private development downtown. Its design…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, day care centers are governed by the use table and notes in BMC 12.06.100. Adult and child day care must meet all state licensing requirements…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.061 rewrites International Fire Code Section 903.2.8 so that an automatic sprinkler system goes throughout every…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, applicants who earn and document green building certification under LEED, the National Green Building Standard, Built Green at three stars or…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, any owner or authorized agent who plans to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure…

The City of Bothell, Washington adopts the 2021 Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code in Bothell Municipal Code § 20.04.120, excluding Chapter 1. Installing or replacing a plumbing…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, work that needs a permit must stay exposed until the building official approves it. Bothell Municipal Code § 20.02.160 sets the inspection sequence…

Unincorporated King County requires dwelling entry doors to have a dead bolt lock operable from inside without a key, mounted no higher than 48 inches.

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.030 sets yard setbacks zone by zone in a development standards table. Garages and carports stay at least 20 feet from streets and access…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.140 defines building coverage and hard surface coverage as percentages of lot area, and the BMC 12.14.030 table caps hard surface coverage…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.110 measures building height vertically from the average city-approved finish grade to the highest point of the structure. The residential…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, BMC 12.14.070(E) keeps pad-mounted heat pumps, air conditioners and furnaces out of front yard setbacks, requires at least three feet of clearance…

In unincorporated King County, loud or raucous sound from a bar, nightclub or similar venue that reaches a residential or rural area, including band sessions or social gatherings, is a…

In unincorporated King County, amplified bass that's plainly audible or felt 50 feet from the source (300 feet for watercraft) in a residential or rural district is a public…

In unincorporated King County, generators count as regulated 'equipment,' so their noise can't exceed the county's maximum permissible sound levels: as low as 49 dB(A) reaching a rural…

Unincorporated King County treats a frequent, repetitive or continuous horn or siren on a motor vehicle, including a car alarm, as unlawful public disturbance noise unless it's warning…

The City of Bothell, Washington has one agricultural zoning classification, AG, assigned solely to the Magnolia Dairy properties in the Westhill Subarea. BMC § 12.04.025 states its…

The City of Bothell, Washington adopts the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Housing Code in Bothell Municipal Code § 20.04.140, with references to the uniform codes replaced by the…

Washington state law (RCW 35.21.830) preempts local rent control in King County and all Washington jurisdictions. Neither King County nor any city within it may cap rent increases…

Since 2021, Washington's just-cause statute RCW 59.18.650 prohibits no-fault evictions of month-to-month tenants. Landlords in King County must cite one of sixteen enumerated causes…

For nonpayment of rent, a Washington landlord must serve a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice in the form set by RCW 59.18.057 before filing an unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12.030…

Washington RCW 59.18.650 requires landlords to have one of 16 enumerated lawful causes to terminate most residential tenancies statewide.

RCW 59.18.150 requires a Washington landlord to give at least two days' written notice before entering to inspect, repair, or maintain the unit, and at least one day's notice to show…

Under RCW 59.18.170, a Washington landlord may not charge any late fee on rent paid within five days of its due date; a fee may begin only once rent is more than five days past due…

Under RCW 59.18.200, a Washington tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 20 days' written notice. A landlord, however, cannot end a periodic tenancy at will: RCW…

Under RCW 59.18.140, a Washington landlord must give at least 90 days' prior written notice before raising rent (30 days for income-based subsidized housing). The 2025 Rent…

Washington sets no dollar cap on residential security deposits, but it controls how they are collected and returned. A landlord may collect a deposit only with a written rental…

Washington's general adverse possession period is 10 years under RCW 4.16.020, requiring possession that is actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous. A shorter…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, the owner of property directly abutting an improved sidewalk carries the duty, burden and expense of repairing, renewing and maintaining it…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, no one can use a public right-of-way, street, sidewalk or other public place without a public area use permit from the director of public works…

Unincorporated King County caps how far a stand, box, platform or similar structure can encroach onto a county road right-of-way: no more than two feet from the right-of-way line…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a building, district, object, site or structure more than 50 years old can be placed on the Bothell register of historic landmarks under Bothell…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, seasonal decorations within the public holiday season, or civic or festival season, are exempt from regulation under Title 12 by Bothell Municipal…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, a window sign is any copy applied or attached to a window. In the R-AC, NB, CB, OP, GC and LI zones, window signs share one combined area cap with…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, billboards are on the prohibited sign list in Bothell Municipal Code § 12.22.050(K), and permanent off-premises signs are banned in every zone…

Political signs on private property need the owner's written consent, and unincorporated King County requires them removed within ten days after the election under County Code chapter…

In unincorporated King County, billboards facing traffic corridors may only sit on CB, RB, or I zoned land, must be within 100 feet of the adjacent arterial, and are capped at five…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, tree protection under Bothell Municipal Code § 12.18.030 turns on size, not species. A significant tree is an existing tree over eight inches in…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Bothell Municipal Code § 12.18.050 requires landscaping inside street rights-of-way abutting all subdivisions, multifamily residential and…

Unincorporated King County has not opted out of retail cannabis: the zoning code permits cannabis retailers under King County Code § 21A.08.070.B.26, capping floor area at 2,000 square…

State law and King County Code require licensed cannabis retailers, producers, and processors to sit at least 1000 feet from schools, playgrounds, recreation centers, child care…

Washington uniquely prohibits recreational home cultivation of cannabis statewide, with cultivation only permitted by licensed producers and qualifying medical patients.

King County administrative offices and executive departments are banned from obtaining, retaining, accessing or using facial recognition technology, with narrow exceptions.

King County treats license-plate-reader data as personal information and bars county agencies and contractors from handing it to ICE, CBP, or USCIS for civil immigration enforcement…

Washington law (RCW 64.38.055 and RCW 64.90.510) prohibits King County HOAs from banning solar panels. Associations may impose reasonable aesthetic rules that do not significantly…

Unincorporated King County waives a building permit for roof-mounted home solar panels weighing under 4 pounds per square foot and rising no more than 18 inches above the roof; bigger…

Unincorporated King County lets any occupant bar door-to-door solicitors just by posting a sign. Under King County Code § 12.66.010, once a "No Solicitation" or "No Trespassing" sign…

Soliciting contributions for charitable or religious purposes in unincorporated King County requires a permit from the county director before any fundraiser begins: there is no general…

Unincorporated King County permits sanctioned homeless encampments only under a temporary use permit that mandates portable toilets, handwashing stations, refuse receptacles, a regular…

King County agencies and the sheriff's office won't spend resources on civil immigration enforcement or hold people on ICE detainers without a judicial criminal warrant.

King County's wastewater utility must actively pursue reclaimed water reuse and keeps exclusive ownership of all reclaimed water its treatment plants produce.

Washington RCW 49.46 sets a statewide minimum wage adjusted annually for inflation; as of 2026 it is $17.13 per hour. Washington does not preempt local minimum wages, so several cities…

Washington RCW 49.46.200 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees, and RCW 50A.04 provides paid family and medical leave funded by payroll premiums.

Washington issues concealed pistol licenses under RCW 9.41.070 on a shall-issue basis to qualified applicants, with statewide preemption preventing local concealed carry rules.

Washington RCW 9.41.290 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, reserving authority over firearm laws to the state legislature with very limited exceptions.

Washington allows open carry of firearms by qualified adults without a permit, with limited statutory restrictions and broad preemption barring most local open carry rules.

Washington RCW 9.41.050 governs carrying firearms in vehicles statewide, requiring a concealed pistol license to carry a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle.

Washington has two regimes. Communities created on or after July 1, 2018 fall under WUCIOA (RCW 64.90), whose lien carries a 6-month super-priority over first mortgages and can be…

Washington requires HOA board meetings to be open to owners and gives owners broad record-access rights. WUCIOA communities follow RCW 64.90.445 (open meetings) and RCW 64.90.495…

Washington HOAs may adopt and enforce rules and architectural standards and enforce the recorded declaration. Under WUCIOA, RCW 64.90.405 authorizes rule adoption and enforcement…

This right applies only within Washington homeowners' associations governed by the Homeowners' Association Act, chapter 64.38 RCW: communities formed before July 1, 2018, excluding…

Washington homeowners associations and condo boards may not prohibit or unreasonably restrict a unit owner's electric vehicle charging station installed for personal, noncommercial use…

Washington's older Homeowners' Association Act, chapter 64.38 RCW, applies to HOAs formed before July 1, 2018 that have not opted into the newer Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act…

Both Washington regimes let HOAs impose reasonable fines, but only after notice and an opportunity to be heard and only under a fine schedule already adopted by the board and furnished…

Washington associations do hold a super-lien. Under RCW 64.90.485(3)(a)(i) of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, an association's lien jumps ahead of a first…

Washington condominium and HOA boards cannot cap or ban unit leasing by ordinary board rule. RCW 64.90.510(10)(c) lets a board restrict leasing only to the extent the rule mirrors…

Washington does not operate sobriety checkpoints, and no section of the Revised Code of Washington authorizes one. The only suspicionless power to stop a driver that the Legislature…

Washington is an all-party consent state, and the rule lives in the Washington Privacy Act at RCW 9.73.030. That section reaches only a private communication or a private conversation…

Washington has no general stop-and-identify statute. Someone stopped on a sidewalk in Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma and asked who they are has no statutory duty to answer, and staying…

Washington has no statute telling an adult driver what happens when an officer asks to search the car, and there is no logging or written-consent requirement of the kind Texas and…

Washington RCW 70A.530 bans single-use plastic carryout bags statewide and requires retailers to charge a pass-through fee for compliant paper or reusable bags.

Washington RCW 70A.245 bans expanded polystyrene foam food service containers, packing peanuts, and coolers in phases starting June 2024 to combat plastic pollution.

Washington RCW 70A.550 limits single-use food service ware including plastic straws and utensils to upon-request distribution at restaurants and food service businesses.

Washington RCW 26.28.080 sets the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and vapor products at 21, aligning with federal Tobacco 21 standards statewide.

Washington has not enacted a statewide flavored tobacco ban, leaving flavor restrictions to limited Department of Health authority and federal FDA enforcement on flavored vapor…

Washington splits its extra-lighting rules between the statute and the State Patrol's rules, and the part most drivers care about lives in the rules. RCW 46.37.180 allows up to two…

Washington has no statute that names dash cameras, so mounting one is governed by a single test in RCW 46.37.410(2): no sign, poster or other nontransparent material may sit on the…

Lane splitting is expressly illegal in Washington. RCW 46.61.608(3) states flatly that no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Washington bans license plate covers outright. RCW 46.16A.200(7)(c)(i) makes it unlawful to use license plate holders, frames, covers, or other materials that conceal, obstruct…

Nothing in Washington law restricts a radar detector in a private passenger vehicle. Chapter 46.37 RCW, the vehicle equipment chapter that fixes fog lamp mounting heights to the inch…

Washington allows metal studded tires only in the winter half of the year. RCW 46.37.420(2) makes it unlawful to use metal studs imbedded within the tire between April 1st and November…

Washington lets you tint every window except the windshield down to 24 percent light transmission, with outward reflectance capped at 35 percent, but RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) measures that…