Animal Ordinances in Chelan County, WA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Chelan County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Unincorporated Chelan County limits backyard chickens and other livestock by lot size and whether the parcel sits inside a county urban growth area. A lot under one acre inside a UGA gets no livestock, just four poultry (no roosters) and two pot-bellied pigs; larger and rural lots scale up. Community Development enforces fencing, setback and waste-storage rules under Chapter 11.88.
Backyard Chickens and Livestock in Chelan County
Some RestrictionsChelan County Code § 11.88.030
§ 11.88.030. Livestock. ... (1) A fence adequate to contain the animals shall be maintained at all times. (2) Animal Densities. (A) Inside a county urban growth area: (i) Lots less than one acre: (a) No livestock. (b) Four poultry, rabbits or other similarly sized animals, excluding roosters. (c) Two pot belly pigs. ... (B) Outside an urban growth area: (i) Lots less than one-half acre: (a) No ...
Dog Leash Laws
Unincorporated Chelan County declares a dog to be a public nuisance if it wanders at large without apparent home, care or supervision, roams in a pack of three or more dogs, or is at large on a public park or school playground, under § 7.40.020(2), (3) and (7). Owners must also display a license tag on the dog anytime it is off their own property.
Chelan County Dogs-At-Large Nuisance Rule
Some RestrictionsChelan County Code § 7.40.020(2), (3), (7); § 7.40.060(a)
(2) Any dog wandering at large without apparent home, care or supervision; (3) Any dogs roaming at large in packs of three or more; ... (7) Any dog wandering at large upon any public park or school playground; ... The owner of such dog shall cause the identification tag to be conspicuously displayed on the animal anytime it is off the owner’s property.
Breed Restrictions
Unincorporated Chelan County does not ban any dog breed by name. Instead, § 7.40.015 adopts the state definitions of "dangerous dog" and "potentially dangerous dog" from Chapter 16.08 RCW, and § 7.40.060 layers on mandatory microchipping and a $100 local registration fee for any dog that meets those definitions.
Chelan County Dangerous Dog Registration Rules
Some RestrictionsChelan County Code §§ 7.40.015, 7.40.060(a), 7.40.060(b)(4), 7.40.060(d)(3)
"Dangerous dog" and "potentially dangerous dog" mean any dog defined as such pursuant to Chapter 16.08 RCW et seq. ... The only exception to the foregoing rules is that the dangerous dog fee is required throughout Chelan County, unless previously imposed by a municipality pursuant to the authority of Chapter 16.08 RCW. ... Mandatory microchipping of dangerous dogs and potentially dangerous dogs...
Exotic Pets
Unincorporated Chelan County requires anyone keeping a "potentially dangerous wild animal," a defined list running from big cats and bears to venomous snakes and crocodilians, to hold a certificate of registration from the county's animal control authority. Possessing one without that certificate under § 7.40.020(11) makes the animal a public nuisance subject to removal.
Chelan County Wild Animal Registration Rules
Significant RestrictionsChelan County Code §§ 7.40.015, 7.40.020(11), 7.40.021(1), 7.40.030(b)
“Potentially dangerous wild animal” means one of the following types of animals, whether bred in the wild or in captivity, and any or all hybrids thereof: ... Family Felidae, only lions, tigers, bobcats, captive-bred cougars, jaguars, cheetahs, and leopards; ... Family Ursidae, all bears; ... Order Primates, such as lemurs, monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas; ... Any potentially dangerous wild ...
Cat Rules
Chelan County does not license cats the way it licenses dogs, but Section 7.40.070 requires every cat over six months old to carry a current rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian, and any cat that bites a person must be confined for ten days at the owner's expense.
Cat Rabies and Bite Rules in Chelan County
Some RestrictionsChelan County Code § 7.40.070
(a) All dogs and cats over the age of six months or dogs with a full set of canine teeth shall have a current rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian. Persons purchasing or obtaining a dog or cat over six months of age, or moving into the county with a dog or cat over six months of age, shall have the dog or cat vaccinated within thirty days of ownership or residence in the c...
Microchipping
Unincorporated Chelan County does not microchip ordinary dogs, but Section 7.40.060(b)(4) makes microchipping mandatory for any dog classified dangerous or potentially dangerous under Chapter 16.08 RCW, and the owner pays a $100 registration fee to cover the microchip, its implantation, and registration.
Dangerous Dog Microchipping in Chelan County
Some RestrictionsChelan County Code § 7.40.060(b)(4)
(4) Mandatory microchipping of dangerous dogs and potentially dangerous dogs is required. Registration fees for potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs are one hundred dollars to offset the costs of the microchip, implantation and registration to be paid by the owners of potentially dangerous or dangerous dogs.
Wildlife Rescue Permits
In unincorporated Chelan County, the county's dangerous-wild-animal nuisance rule exempts anyone licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Washington State Game Department, or a humane society to rehabilitate wildlife from having to obtain the county's own certificate of registration for a potentially dangerous wild animal, while everyone else must register or risk a public-nuisance violation.
Wildlife Rescue Permits in Chelan County
Few RestrictionsChelan County Code § 7.40.020
(11) Any potentially dangerous wild animal possessed by a person without a certificate of registration issued by the Chelan County animal control authority; except this section shall not apply to any person keeping or maintaining or having in his possession or under his control any animal defined in that section when such person is transporting such animal or reptile through Chelan County, prov...
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