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Washington County, OR Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Buffer from other retailers
1,000 feet, property line to line
Buffer from THPRD youth facility
1,000 feet, property line to line
Hours of operation
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Max floor area (IND/GC/R-COM)
3,000 square feet
Applies to
Unincorporated Washington County only

Summary

Beyond state licensing requirements, Washington County's own code keeps retail marijuana facilities in the unincorporated area at least 1,000 feet from any other retail marijuana facility and at least 1,000 feet from a Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District youth facility, measured property line to property line.

City-specific rules exist: Beaverton, and Hillsboro have their own buffer zones rules that differ from Washington County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

E.In addition to state requirements for location, a Retail Marijuana Facility must be located:(1)At least 1,000 feet away from any other Retail Marijuana Facility;(2)At least 1,000 feet from a youth-oriented recreational facility owned and operated by Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD). Distances are measured by a straight line between any point on the boundary line of the real property containing a Retail Marijuana Facility to any point on the boundary line of the real property containing another Retail Marijuana Facility or THPRD youth-oriented recreational facility.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).

Full Breakdown

2(E) adds a county-specific distance standard on top of whatever location requirements the Oregon Liquor Control Commission or Oregon Health Authority already impose on a licensed Retail Marijuana Facility, a category that covers both medical marijuana dispensaries and licensed recreational retailers. The section requires a Retail Marijuana Facility to sit at least 1,000 feet from any other Retail Marijuana Facility and at least 1,000 feet from a youth-oriented recreational facility owned and operated by the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD). The code specifies exactly how that distance is measured: by a straight line between any point on the boundary line of the property containing the retail facility and any point on the boundary line of the property containing the other retail facility or THPRD youth facility, not by travel distance along a street.

2(D). Because this is a county buffer layered on top of state licensing rules rather than a replacement for them, an applicant still has to satisfy OLCC or OHA siting requirements separately. The buffer applies only to Retail Marijuana Facilities sited in unincorporated Washington County; a retailer inside Hillsboro, Beaverton, or another city in the county is sited under that city's own code.

Violations & Fines

A Retail Marijuana Facility sited closer than 1,000 feet to another Retail Marijuana Facility or to a THPRD youth-oriented recreational facility does not meet Section 430-80.2(E) and cannot receive county land use approval; an applicant who cannot show compliance on a site plan is denied at the permitting stage rather than cited after the fact. An operator who later opens or relocates in violation of the buffer, hours, or floor-area conditions in Section 430-80.2 is subject to the county's land use enforcement process in addition to any OLCC license action.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far must a marijuana retailer be from another dispensary in Washington County?
At least 1,000 feet, measured as a straight line between the boundary of the two properties, not by street distance. Section 430-80.2(E) applies this buffer between any two Retail Marijuana Facilities, which includes both medical marijuana dispensaries and licensed recreational retailers, anywhere in the unincorporated county.
Does the buffer apply to schools?
The county code's own buffer in Section 430-80.2(E) names only two protected distances: 1,000 feet from another Retail Marijuana Facility and 1,000 feet from a Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District youth-oriented facility. Any separate school buffer comes from state OLCC or OHA licensing rules, which apply independently of this county standard.
What are the hours for a marijuana retailer in unincorporated Washington County?
Section 430-80.2(B) limits hours of operation for a Retail Marijuana Facility to between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., in addition to the 1,000-foot buffers and, in the Industrial, General Commercial, and Rural Commercial districts, the 3,000-square-foot floor area cap set in the same section.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Washington County

All Washington County rules

Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon cannabis regulations overview

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Buffer Zones in Cities Across Washington County