Pierce County, WA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Retail zones
- MUD, UCOR, and RAC (Key/Gig Harbor Peninsula)
- Retail permit type
- Conditional Use Permit required
- Retail sales hours
- 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.
- Processor zones
- EC, CE, MUD (Conditional Use Permit)
- Producer cap
- 10,000 sq ft, indoor/greenhouse only
Summary
Pierce County has not opted out of state-licensed marijuana retail. Retail outlets are allowed, but only through a Conditional Use Permit and only in Mixed Use District, Urban Corridor, or Rural Activity Center zones in the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor Peninsula plan areas, with sales capped to the hours of 8 a.m. to midnight.
Marijuana-licensed retail outlets shall be permitted through a Conditional Use Permit in Mixed Use District (MUD) and Urban Corridor (UCOR) zone classifications as well as the Rural Activity Center (RAC) classifications in the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor Peninsula Community plan areas. A marijuana retailer licensee may sell usable marijuana, marijuana-infused products, and marijuana paraphernalia between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-515, and legislation passed through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
PCC 18A.12.020.D confines marijuana-licensed retail outlets to a Conditional Use Permit process, and only within three zone classifications: Mixed Use District (MUD), Urban Corridor (UCOR), and, in the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor Peninsula Community plan areas specifically, the Rural Activity Center (RAC) classification. A retailer cannot simply obtain a state license and open; it must first secure the discretionary county land-use permit tied to one of those zones, on top of meeting the 1,000-foot buffer from schools, parks and other protected uses set by PCC 18A.12.020.B.
Once sited, a licensed retailer may sell usable marijuana, marijuana-infused products, and marijuana paraphernalia only between 8 a.m. and 12 a.m., per PCC 18A.12.020.D.2. Processors face a parallel but separate zoning track: PCC 18A.12.020.E permits marijuana-licensed processors through a Conditional Use Permit only in Employment Center (EC), Community Employment (CE), and Mixed Use District (MUD) zones. Producers are more restricted still under PCC 18A.12.020.F, limited to Employment Center and Community Employment zones, capped at 10,000 square feet of production space, and required to operate inside a fully enclosed secure indoor facility or greenhouse.
Outdoor signage for any of these licensed premises is capped at 1,600 square inches under PCC 18A.12.020.C, and a Minors Restricted sign must be posted at every marijuana-licensed premises.
Violations & Fines
Operating a marijuana retail, processing, or production business outside its allowed zone classification, or without the required Conditional Use Permit, is a violation of PCC 18A.12.020 and is declared a public nuisance per se under PCC 18A.12.020.G, exposing the operator to county nuisance abatement in addition to any state licensing consequences from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Pierce County banned marijuana retail stores?
What zones allow a marijuana processing or production facility in unincorporated Pierce County?
What hours can a licensed marijuana retailer sell in Pierce County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
Compare Pierce County to another location·View the Washington cannabis regulations overview
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