King County, WA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Floor area cap
- 2,000 sq ft/lot (3,000 with medical)
- Separation requirement
- 1,000 feet between retail cannabis lots
- Governing code
- King County Code § 21A.08.070.B.26
- Scope
- Unincorporated area only, not Seattle
- Enforcing agency
- DLS Permitting Division
Summary
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 feet per lot and requiring 1,000 feet of separation between retail cannabis lots.
26.a. Per lot, limited to a maximum aggregated total of two thousand square feet of gross floor area devoted to, and in support of, the retail sale of cannabis. ... c. Any lot line of a lot having any area devoted to retail cannabis activity shall be one thousand feet or more from any lot line of any other lot having any area devoted to retail cannabis activity.
Full Breakdown
King County never adopted a retail cannabis ban or moratorium; unincorporated-area zoning under King County Code § 21A.08.070.B.26 instead permits cannabis retailers subject to siting standards. This applies only outside city limits. Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton and the county's other incorporated cities run their own zoning codes for cannabis retailers. Where the use table allows the use, gross floor area devoted to retail cannabis sales is capped at 2,000 square feet per lot, extendable to 3,000 square feet if at least 500 square feet supports state-licensed medical cannabis sales, and no lot line devoted to retail cannabis may sit within 1,000 feet of another retail-cannabis lot line.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 2,000-square-foot (or 3,000-square-foot medical) floor area cap, or siting a retail cannabis lot within 1,000 feet of another, triggers King County code enforcement and can jeopardize the conditional use permit or business license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a cannabis retail store anywhere in King County?
Does this rule apply inside Seattle or Bellevue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington cannabis regulations overview
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