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, public parks, public transit centers, libraries, and game arcades. Cities may reduce the buffer to 100 feet for some uses.
RCW 69.50.331 and WAC 314-55-050 set a 1000 foot buffer between cannabis licensees and sensitive uses, measured by the most direct route. Cities and counties may reduce the buffer to 100 feet for parks, transit centers, libraries, and arcades, but the 1000 foot rule for elementary and secondary schools and playgrounds remains mandatory. King County retained the full buffer in unincorporated areas. Several cities including Seattle reduced buffers near transit and libraries to expand legal retail sites. Producer-processor sites use the same measurements.
Operating inside the buffer leads to license denial, revocation by the WSLCB, and county code enforcement actions that can shut down the business and impose daily civil penalties.
King County, WA
In unincorporated King County, fences 6 feet or less in height may be built on or within property lines without a building permit. Fences over 6 feet require...
King County, WA
Unincorporated King County's marine shoreline along Puget Sound and Vashon-Maury Island is regulated under the Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58), the King...
King County, WA
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 R...
King County, WA
In unincorporated King County, a one-story detached storage shed of 200 square feet or less, accessory to a residential or agricultural use, is exempt from a...
King County, WA
Unincorporated King County requires private swimming pools to be enclosed by a barrier at least five feet high under K.C.C. 16.70.020, with self-closing/self...
King County, WA
King County Ordinance 18467 (2017) limits county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and Washington's Keep Washington Working Act (RCW 10.93.16...
See how King County's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.