Burien, WA

In the City of Burien, Washington, the entire city, except city-recognized off-leash dog parks, is designated a dog control zone. BMC § 6.10.100 adopts King County Code chapter 11.08…

In the City of Burien, Washington, any dog or other animal that inflicts severe injury on a person without provocation, or kills a domestic animal without provocation while off the…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 6.40.100 makes it unlawful to feed, or allow domestic or wild animals or birds to feed, outdoors at such times and in such numbers that it…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 9.20.300 makes it a misdemeanor to wilfully and without authority in law kill, wound or trap a bird, or to remove or destroy the egg of any bird…

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 caps unaltered dogs and cats at three per dwelling unit; other household pets are limited to five, but altered (spayed/neutered) cats face no numeric cap…

In unincorporated King County, keeping an unaltered dog or cat past kittenhood/puppyhood is unlawful unless the owner holds an unaltered pet license for that animal.

In unincorporated King County, veterinary clinics are permitted outright only in the Office zone; in Agricultural, Mineral and Urban Reserve zones they are allowed solely as a home…

King County accepts an implanted microchip as a substitute for a metal license tag on licensed pets, and separately requires microchipping before any shelter adoption and before…

In unincorporated King County, not Seattle, Bellevue, or the county's other 27-plus cities, which run their own codes, cat owners must license cats eight weeks and older within 30 days…

In unincorporated King County, homeowners can keep up to ten poultry, chickens, or squab per lot under 35,000 square feet, adding one bird per additional half acre up to twenty total…

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…

Unincorporated King County prohibits harboring, keeping, or maintaining exotic animals as pets, dangerous snakes, primates, bears, non-domesticated cats and dogs (including wolf/coyote…

Unincorporated King County caps backyard beehives at fifty on lots under five acres, with no cap on larger parcels, and requires colonies in movable-frame hives.

In the City of Burien, Washington, no person can ignite or maintain any fire in a park, including wood, gas or briquette devices, except in a designated picnic area barbeque unit or…

In the City of Burien, Washington, selling fireworks is unlawful, and no one may discharge or possess them without a state license and a city permit from the local fire official…

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…

Smoke alarms required in all King County dwellings per WA Building Code (RCW 19.27, IRC R314). New construction needs hardwired interconnected alarms with battery backup; battery-only…

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…

Washington's Clean Air Act (RCW 70A.15) bans outdoor burning in urban growth areas and most cities. The Department of Ecology and clean air agencies enforce statewide standards…

Washington adopts the International Fire Code statewide under RCW 19.27.031, including NFPA 58 standards for liquefied petroleum gas (propane). These rules govern container placement…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 9.105.410 makes it unlawful to cause or allow a public disturbance noise, and subsections (2)(e) and (2)(f) name vehicle audio and portable…

In the City of Burien, Washington, § 7.30.180 bars any person from permitting a dog or other pet or domestic animal to bark or make noise continuously or otherwise disturb the peace…

In the City of Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code § 9.105.410 makes vehicle horns, engine testing, car stereos and tire squeal public disturbance noises. A vehicle stereo…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 9.105.410(2)(h) makes sound from construction sites a public disturbance noise between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and between 5:00…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 9.105.410 targets yelling, shouting, whistling or singing on or near public streets, particularly between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. It also bars…

In the City of Burien, Washington, residential neighborhoods cannot be subjected to adverse land uses, activities or traffic that generate exterior noise exposure levels exceeding 55…

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 the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 5.62.030(1) defines an accessory dwelling unit as a second, subordinate housing unit accessory to a single-family residence. Chapter 5.62 lists…

In unincorporated King County, one-story tool sheds and playhouses under 200 square feet skip a building permit if the eave stays 3 feet from other buildings and the shed sits at least…

Unincorporated King County exempts accessory dwelling units from school impact fees under County Code § 21A.43.070.A.9, so building an ADU triggers no per-unit school fee that a new…

In unincorporated King County, one Accessory Dwelling Unit is permitted per primary detached dwelling or townhouse under KCC 21A.08.030.B.7.a. ADUs are limited to 1,000 sq ft of heated…

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 Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code § 8.45.020(5)(c)(iv) makes any wrecked, inoperable, abandoned or disassembled vehicle, trailer, boat or tractor a nuisance, but…

In the City of Burien, Washington, a marked freight curb loading zone is for the expeditious unloading and delivery or pickup and loading of materials only, during the hours that apply…

In the City of Burien, Washington, recreational vehicles are exempt from the 90-inch width ban on parking in street right-of-way under BMC 10.15.060, but every vehicle faces the…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 10.11.030 allows no more than four motor vehicles on a residential lot, and each must be currently licensed and operable. BMC 10.11.040 adds…

In the City of Burien, King County, Washington, the city manager can establish residential parking zones that restrict parking on certain streets at certain times except by permit…

In the City of Burien, Washington, no one can park in front of a driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or obstruct traffic or pedestrians, and vehicles must park within 12 inches…

In the City of Burien, Washington, the city manager must give notice of a no-parking, time-limited or angle-parking-only zone by erecting signs or placing markings on the pavement or…

In the City of Burien, Washington, no vehicle can be parked or stand on a street or public street right-of-way for a period exceeding 24 hours. Burien Municipal Code § 10.15.080 treats…

Unincorporated King County requires electric-vehicle charging infrastructure in new off-street parking: EV-ready spaces for townhouses, and EVSE plus EV-ready percentages for new…

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…

In unincorporated King County, parking a commercial vehicle wider than 80 inches on any county road between midnight and 6 a.m. is a traffic infraction, punishable by a $20 fine.

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 Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code § 8.45.020(5)(c)(vii) makes noxious or toxic weeds, tall grass that can be a fire hazard, and nonnative herbaceous plants…

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…

King County Code § 14.52.080 forbids removing or cutting back street trees and plantings in county road right-of-way if it damages their appearance, letting utilities trim only enough…

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…

Unincorporated King County requires a clearing and grading permit before cutting or removing trees, except for narrow exemptions like emergency and hazard-tree removal.

Unincorporated King County requires new landscaping to use native or climate-adapted plants and encourages keeping existing natural vegetation in place rather than ripping it out for…

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

In unincorporated King County, fences over 6 feet tall must meet the zone's street and interior setback lines, not just sit on the property line.

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…

Unincorporated King County requires a building permit for any retaining wall over 4 feet tall, or any wall of any height that holds back a surcharge or stores hazardous liquids.

Unincorporated King County bans barbed and razor-wire fences in R-4 through R-48 zones and tightly regulates electric fences with voltage caps and required warning signs.

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.

Unincorporated King County requires private pools, hot tubs and spas over 24 inches deep to be fully enclosed by a 60-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates.

In unincorporated King County, an above-ground pool that can hold water more than 24 inches deep is regulated as a swimming pool under the Washington State Residential Code Appendix…

Home occupations in unincorporated King County's R, UR, NB, CB, and RB zones may host customer visits and deliveries only 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends, and…

Unincorporated King County caps home businesses at 20% of a dwelling's floor area and one on-site nonresident employee in residential and commercial zones.

King County's zoning code classifies in-home child care by headcount: up to 12 people in a 24-hour period is "Daycare I," a separate land-use category from home occupations, while any…

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…

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 Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code Chapter 2.26 bars city offices, employees and agents from conditioning city services on citizenship or immigration status. City…

In the City of Burien, Washington, a peddler or transient sales representative cannot sell between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., and cannot sell at any home or business with a clearly…

In the City of Burien, Washington, peddlers and transient sales representatives are prohibited unless licensed under BMC 5.10.100, which requires a sworn application, a police criminal…

In the City of Burien, Washington, commercial businesses in the downtown collection area must lock every solid waste container. Under BMC 8.15.130 locks stay unlocked only during…

In the City of Burien, Washington, restaurants and other eating places with a physical location in the city must maintain access to and use compostable or food and yard waste material…

In the City of Burien, Washington, anyone in possession, charge or control of a dwelling, apartment house, restaurant, shop or other place that creates garbage must keep portable solid…

In the City of Burien, Washington, every business with a physical location in the city, other than a home occupation business, must maintain access to and use recycled material…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 8.45.020(5)(c)(viii) treats dumping of any type on public or private property not registered as a legal dump site as a nuisance. Dumping in…

Unincorporated King County requires trash and recycling containers to be sturdy, rodent-proof and kept where your certificated hauler can reach them on collection day: the code sets no…

Unincorporated King County requires yard waste to be kept out of the garbage can. Certificated haulers won't empty a solid waste container with visible yard debris in it: they tag it…

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)…

In unincorporated King County, certificated garbage haulers must pick up recyclables at least twice a month and put recycling on the same weekly day as regular trash collection.

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 Burien, Washington, BMC § 9.105.410(2)(b) makes frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds from starting, operating, repairing, rebuilding or testing any internal…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 9.105.410(2)(a) lists the frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of any horn or siren attached to a motor vehicle as a public disturbance…

In the City of Burien, Washington, trucks and truck tractors cannot use engine compression brakes at any time on city streets unless the noise is effectively muffled, with an exception…

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, air conditioners, heat pumps and other stationary equipment noise must stay under the county's district-based sound level table, dropping 10 dB(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 the City of Burien, Washington, any community special or private event held in a park facility needs a facility use permit or scheduled use, arranged through the parks and…

In the City of Burien, Washington, a business operating at an approved nonprofit community festival needs no business license under BMC 5.05.091 if it works no more than three…

Unincorporated King County bans any procession or parade on county roads unless the county first issues a special use permit. Funeral processions are the only exception. Once underway…

In the City of Burien, Washington, no person can skateboard or in-line skate in park facilities unless the parks director has designated otherwise, and no one can ride a bicycle…

In the City of Burien, Washington, loitering is punished by purpose and result, not by standing still. BMC § 9.90.020 bars remaining on a street, sidewalk, alleyway or other public…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 9.95.300 makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally urinate or defecate in a public place other than a washroom or toilet room, or at a place and…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 9.105.410(2)(d) lists frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds from any building, apartment or condominium, including social gatherings, that…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 9.80.400 makes aggressive begging in any public place a misdemeanor. Aggressive begging means begging with intent to intimidate another person…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 9.15.200 bars opening a package of liquor, possessing an open container of liquor, or consuming liquor in a public place. A violation is a class…

Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is banned on all King County Metro transit vehicles, bus shelters and transit property: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.

In the City of Burien, Washington, rental housing is licensed through a Burien business license under Chapter 5.05 BMC. BMC 5.62.040(2) makes the license a condition of operation and…

In the City of Burien, Washington, rental habitability is enforced through the Rental Housing Inspection Program in Chapter 5.62 BMC. The Community Development Director publishes a…

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 Burien, Washington, BMC 5.10.100(3) gives no peddler, transient sales representative or ice cream vendor an exclusive right to any location in the public streets, bars a…

Washington WAC 246-215 enforced under RCW 43.20 establishes the statewide retail food code requiring mobile food units including food trucks to obtain permits from local health…

In the City of Burien, Washington, parks and park facilities close to the public at dusk or no later than 10:00 p.m. unless posted otherwise, and park areas close one hour after sunset…

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 Burien, Washington, Chapter 5.65 BMC makes it unlawful to run an adult cabaret, or to work in one as a manager or entertainer, without a city license. Fees are $500.00…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 5.10.070 caps pawnbroker licenses at no more than one for every 15,000 of population under the last federal census, and bars a pawnbroker from…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 9.70.300 makes it a misdemeanor to apply a tattoo to any minor under the age of 18. Not knowing the age is no defense unless the tattooist proves…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC §§ 10.12.100 and 10.12.110 govern towing contractors who handle police-ordered impounds. The King County sheriff's office and the city manager…

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…

Anyone buying, selling or trading secondhand goods in unincorporated King County must hold a secondhand dealer's license under King County Code § 6.60.010. The $40-a-year license…

Unincorporated King County bans auto, truck, and heavy equipment repair or auto body work as a home occupation in the R, UR, NB, CB, and RB zones under County Code section 21A.30.080.

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 Burien, Washington, BMC 3.13.020 levies a commercial parking tax of $3.00 per commercial parking transaction, including short-term metered parking, no matter how long…

In the City of Burien, Washington, every business pays a gross receipts tax at one-tenth of two percent (0.002) under BMC 3.11.050, and the classification sets the measure: gross…

In the City of Burien, Washington, residential rental properties covered by the Rental Housing Inspection Program (RHIP) must be inspected once every three years by a qualified rental…

In the City of Burien, Washington, a tenant starts a repair complaint in writing to the landlord under RCW 59.18.070. If the landlord fails to respond adequately, BMC 5.62.070(6)(d)…

In the City of Burien, Washington, every person operating or riding a non-motorized bicycle on a public roadway, bicycle path, right-of-way or publicly owned facility must wear a…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC § 10.05.070 authorizes automated traffic safety cameras to detect stoplight violations and school speed zone violations, limited to two arterial…

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 Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code § 8.45.020(5)(c) makes it a nuisance to leave trash covered premises, a dangerous, decaying, unkempt, falling or damaged…

In the City of Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code § 8.45.020(5)(c)(v) makes attractive nuisances left upon an unoccupied lot, such as abandoned appliances, open pits, wells and…

In the City of Burien, Washington, BMC 9.85.150 makes it unlawful for any person to camp or store items on public property at any time. Violation is a misdemeanor. Police can offer…

In the City of Burien, Washington, every violation of a city ordinance is declared a nuisance under Burien Municipal Code § 8.45.015, and each day it stays uncorrected after notice…

King County targets citations within 60 days of a complaint and notice-and-orders within 120 days, per code enforcement guidelines.

Unincorporated King County residents report suspected code violations through the county's online Permitting portal or by calling code enforcement at 206-296-6600; the code authorizes…

In the City of Burien, Washington, Burien Municipal Code § 8.45.020(5)(c)(vi) makes it a nuisance for property use or street use to obstruct traffic or open access to streets and…

In unincorporated King County, the county road engineer decides when a sidewalk needs repair and can bill the abutting owner if the owner caused the damage.

Private use or improvement of county road right-of-way in unincorporated King County requires a right-of-way use permit before work begins.

Unincorporated King County requires a floodplain development permit before any new construction, fill, or substantial improvement begins in a mapped flood hazard area, per County Code…

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…

Unincorporated King County requires drainage review and stormwater control facilities once a project hits set impervious-surface or land-disturbance thresholds.

Unincorporated King County requires new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor to the flood protection elevation, which the code defines…

Unincorporated King County limits shoreline docks to water-dependent uses, caps most residential lots to one dock or moorage facility, and bans new private boat launch ramps entirely.

King County requires erosion and sediment control on every clearing or grading site, with stricter seasonal limits from October 1 through April 30, in unincorporated areas outside…

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.

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…

Unincorporated King County taxes licensed social card game rooms at 11 percent of annual gross receipts over $10,000 under King County Code § 12.54.100. The tax rides on state…

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…

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 limits electronic changing-message signs to commercial and industrial zones and freezes the total count of billboard faces at 1988 levels, so a new digital…

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 North Highline/White Center design-standards area of unincorporated King County, new and substantially improved buildings must minimize night-sky illumination and use fully…

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 unincorporated King County's North Highline design-review area, new commercial and multifamily buildings must aim exterior lights onto the building or adjoining ground, capping…

Unincorporated King County caps impervious surface, pavement, roofs, decks, by zone under Code § 21A.09H.030: 55% in R-4, 70% in R-6, 75% in R-8, and up to 90% in R-48, measured per…

Unincorporated King County sets a 10-foot minimum street setback and 5-foot interior setback in the R-4 through R-48 zones, with wider setbacks in UR and R-1.

In unincorporated King County's urban single-family zones (R-4 through R-8), homes are capped at a 35-foot base height, extendable to 45 feet only by adding one foot of setback for…

Unincorporated King County adopts the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code as its plumbing code, requiring a permit for plumbing work; the base permit fee is $132 plus $26 per fixture, and…

Unincorporated King County lets state-licensed family day care homes build to the residential code instead of the commercial code; larger stand-alone child care centers still must meet…

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.

Unincorporated King County has no mandatory green building code for private construction. Chapter 18.17 requires LEED Platinum or Living Building Challenge certification only for…

Unincorporated King County requires a posted inspection record card on every permitted job, and charges a reinspection fee whenever work isn't ready or corrections weren't completed…

Unincorporated King County requires automatic fire sprinklers in new IRC-built homes when fire access, floor area, or water supply fall short of set thresholds, with an exception for…

Unincorporated King County requires a building permit for most interior renovation work; simple finish work like painting, flooring, and cabinets is exempt, and a site plan is waived…

Unincorporated King County protects farmland with a dedicated Agricultural (A) zone that limits residential density and restricts uses to those compatible with farming.

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

In unincorporated King County, no one may plant trees, shrubs or other objects in the road right-of-way planting strip without a variance from the county road engineer, and abutting…

Unincorporated King County has no countywide downtown design code: only the North Highline subarea (the White Center activity center) has adopted urban design standards under K.C.C…

Unincorporated King County developments get bonus density or floor area for adding improved child daycare slots, up to 25% more dwelling units than the base zone allows.

Altering a significant feature of a King County-designated landmark requires a certificate of appropriateness from the county's Landmarks Commission before work begins, whether or not…

King County's sales-and-use-tax chapter doesn't set a standalone hotel tax rate. Instead it exempts hotel and short-term lodging sales from each add-on county tax once the combined…

Unmanned model aircraft, rockets, and drones are banned in King County parks and trails unless the county specifically designates and posts an area for that use or the parks director…

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 unincorporated King County, property owners must furnish and maintain devices that prevent rodent infestation, then pay for extermination themselves once pests move in.

Unincorporated King County treats any plant on Washington's official noxious weed list, WAC chapter 16-750, as a regulated noxious weed under county code, regardless of the list's…

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…