Clark County, WA Ordinances (2026)

It is unlawful to bring into or keep any "wild animal" in unincorporated Clark County without first obtaining a wild-animal license from animal protection and control, which inspects…

Clark County has no cat leash law and no fixed limit on the number of cats. Cats are covered by general nuisance, licensing, and cruelty rules, and the county sponsors a community-cat…

Livestock use is allowed in all zoning districts in unincorporated Clark County. New urban-area livestock structures for large animals must sit 20 feet from all property lines, and…

In designated leash-law areas of unincorporated Clark County, dogs off the owner's premises must be controlled by a leash. Any dog running at large (off the owner's property) is…

Washington has no statewide breed ban, and Clark County imposes no breed-specific restriction. Dogs are regulated by behavior: a dog declared "dangerous" faces strict licensing, a…

Clark County caps dogs through its kennel definition: keeping more than five adult dogs inside the urban growth boundary, or more than nine outside it, makes a property a "kennel"…

Clark County's animal code has no ordinance directly prohibiting feeding wildlife such as deer or birds. It does bar keeping designated dangerous species (skunks, foxes, raccoons) and…

There is no county STR registry for unincorporated Clark County. Hosts must instead register with the Washington Department of Revenue for a business/tax account. A bed-and-breakfast…

Hosts renting under 30 days must collect and remit Washington retail sales tax plus lodging and convention/trade-center taxes on the rental charge, reported through the Department of…

Unincorporated Clark County sets no whole-home STR occupancy cap. For the county-regulated bed-and-breakfast use, up to six guest bedrooms may be rented within the operator's own…

Unincorporated Clark County sets no dedicated STR parking standard. For a bed-and-breakfast, CCC 40.260.050 requires two off-street parking spaces plus one more for each bedroom…

Whole-home short-term rentals are not restricted to a primary residence in unincorporated Clark County. However, a bed-and-breakfast under CCC 40.260.050 must be the operator's owned…

Unincorporated Clark County does not require a host to be present at a short-term rental. For a bed-and-breakfast, the operator must live on site, since a B&B must be accessory to a…

Clark County requires screening fences to use permanent materials. Allowed materials include wood, metal, brick, and masonry; chain link with slats is allowed only for the partial (F1)…

Clark County does not set a cost-sharing rule for boundary fences; that is a private matter under Washington law. County code does let neighbors agree in writing to exceed height…

In unincorporated Clark County, a fence or wall (or a combined berm and fence/wall) may not exceed six feet above finished grade at its base, unless the review authority approves added…

Unincorporated Clark County does not require a building permit for fences seven feet or less in height. Fences over seven feet, and retaining walls over four feet (or any wall carrying…

Clark County allows retaining walls four feet or less (and fences seven feet or less) within easements. Walls over four feet, or fences over seven feet, must meet the underlying zone's…

Industrial noise reaching a Clark County residence is capped by WAC 173-60-040 at 60 dBA (45 dBA drop does not apply to industrial-zone receivers, but residences get the 10 dBA night…

In unincorporated Clark County, using lawn mowers, chain saws and other repair or ground-maintenance power equipment is allowed 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; outside those hours, frequent…

Clark County has no leaf-blower-specific ban. Leaf blowers fall under the ground-maintenance power-equipment exemption: allowed 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; frequent use outside those…

Frequent horn honking, and frequent engine noise from starting, operating, repairing or testing motor vehicles in a residential area that disturbs neighbors, are public disturbance…

Unincorporated Clark County has no single fixed "quiet hours," but yelling, shouting, whistling or singing near a street between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. is a public disturbance noise, and…

A dog that barks, bays, cries or howls continuously for 10 minutes, or intermittently for a half hour or more, to the disturbance of any person is a public disturbance noise in…

Outdoor music, live bands and PA systems fall under Clark County's public disturbance noise rule: loud or raucous amplified sound from a property that frequently or continuously…

Residential hot tubs and spas are regulated under the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code and IRC adopted in Clark County Code 14.01.010. Many require electrical and building…

A building permit is required to build an in-ground or above-ground swimming pool or spa in unincorporated Clark County. Construction follows the state-amended International Swimming…

Carports and detached garages are accessory buildings under CCC 40.260.010. In R1 residential zones they cannot exceed 18 feet in height on lots of 20,000 sq ft or less, or 35 feet on…

Clark County lets you convert an existing garage into an accessory dwelling unit, including a garage within nonconforming setbacks if the nonconformity predated April 26, 2024 and the…

Washington defines a tiny house as a dwelling that may be built on wheels and is no larger than 400 sq ft, excluding lofts. To be a legal permanent residence in Clark County a tiny…

In the urban growth area you may build up to two accessory dwelling units per legal lot, each capped at 1,000 sq ft (up to 1,500 sq ft on lots of 20,000+ sq ft). Rural zones (RADU)…

Clark County restricts oversized vehicles chiefly through its nuisance code: semi-trucks and truck tractors in urban residential front yards are prohibited, RVs may not be parked on…

In unincorporated Clark County you may keep an RV or boat on your own property, but only one boat/personal-watercraft trailer may sit in a front or side setback in urban residential…

Living in a vehicle overnight on a public street or right-of-way in unincorporated Clark County is unlawful without a permit. Residents can buy a $10 permit letting an adjacent RV be…

On unincorporated county roads it is unlawful to park an automobile longer than 24 hours, or to park an RV for any length of time (except loading/unloading up to 24 hours) without a…

In urban unincorporated Clark County, parking motor and recreational vehicles in front yards on pervious (unpaved) surfaces is a declared nuisance. Required off-street parking areas…

In unincorporated Clark County, three or more inoperable vehicles in a rural yard, or any inoperable vehicle in an urban yard, that sit 30+ days visible from the road are a public…

Clark County requires off-street truck loading spaces for larger commercial and institutional buildings. Commercial and industrial buildings 5,000+ square feet need one or more berths…

Clark County Code does not authorize residents to paint or mark public curbs; official curb markings and signage are county functions. The code does prohibit re-parking on the same…

Washington did NOT adopt the model fire-code ban (IFC 308.1.4) on grills on balconies, so propane and charcoal grills are not prohibited on decks or balconies by state code. However…

Curbside garbage and recycling in unincorporated Clark County is provided by WUTC-certificated haulers. Recycling is collected the same day as garbage on an every-other-week basis…

Curbside recycling is available to all Clark County residents and is mandatory in some cities and urban growth areas, optional elsewhere. Carts take metal cans, paper, cardboard…

Bulky items like furniture, mattresses, appliances, and electronics are not put in curbside carts. Clark County residents request bulky-item collection or use the RecycleRight tool to…

Dumping trash on public or private land in Clark County is prohibited by CCC Chapter 9.28 littering and state law RCW 70A.200.060. Small litter is a civil infraction; over one cubic…

For automated pickup, Clark County directs residents to place carts and bins at least 5 feet from obstructions with 3 feet of separation between carts, away from low branches and other…

Clark County recommends a 30-foot defensible space cleared of flammable vegetation around your house, with firewood and combustible debris moved at least 30 feet uphill. Washington's…

Washington law (RCW 43.44.110) requires smoke detection devices in all dwelling units. The owner is responsible for installation; tenants maintain them, including batteries. Alarms are…

Recreational fires must burn in a metal, stone or masonry-lined pit no larger than 3 feet across and 2 feet high, sit at least 25 feet from any structure with 20 feet of overhead…

Residential and land-clearing burning is permanently banned inside city limits and urban growth areas (Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, Yacolt) and…

In unincorporated Clark County, consumer fireworks may be discharged only from 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4, and from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1. All other days are banned…

Clark County's rural residential districts (R-20, R-10, R-5) set no numeric maximum lot coverage in Table 40.210.020-3 (listed as N/A). Coverage is effectively controlled by large…

In Clark County's rural residential districts (R-20, R-10, R-5), the maximum building height for residential buildings is 35 feet, per Table 40.210.020-3 of the Unified Development…

In Clark County's rural residential districts (R-20, R-10, R-5), the minimum front setback is 50 feet from a road, side setback 25 feet from a street and 20 feet interior, and rear…

Clark County lets you prune and maintain trees, but landscaping required by the Unified Development Code must be kept healthy, and pruning must not impair the survival of trees…

Clark County regulates tree removal mainly through the state Forest Practices Act (RCW 76.09) and CCC 40.260.080, plus critical-area review near wetlands, streams, and habitat. A…

Clark County actively encourages native landscaping. Its development code favors compatibility with existing native vegetation and drought-resistant plantings, and county programs like…

Clark County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf, and homeowners may install it in their yards. In development-regulated landscaping, county code specifies that…

Washington law RCW 17.10.140 requires every Clark County property owner to eradicate Class A noxious weeds and control designated Class B and C weeds. The county nuisance code also…

Selling home-baked goods requires a Washington State Department of Agriculture cottage food permit under RCW Chapter 69.22, not a Clark County permit. Only non-hazardous foods (baked…

Family home child care in Washington is licensed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families under Chapter 110-300 WAC, not Clark County. The department issues family home…

Clark County Code 40.260.100 allows home businesses in residential zones if they stay secondary to living use and preserve neighborhood character. The business must be run by a…

Clark County Code 40.260.100 allows one home-business sign of 2 square feet or less in urban areas, or 6 square feet or less in rural areas. A separate sign permit is not required if…

In unincorporated Clark County, accumulated junk, debris, and abandoned objects visible from adjacent property are a code nuisance. Urban areas allow no more than one cubic yard of…

Owners of vacant lots must keep them free of accumulated junk and debris under CCC 9.24.010 and must control noxious weeds under state law RCW 17.10.140. Neglected vacant parcels are…

Occasional garage and yard sales in unincorporated Clark County are treated as short temporary uses. Temporary uses of two weeks or less per year per site require registering with the…

Clark County requires outdoor lights (except holiday lights) to be directed or shielded so glare is minimized as seen from streets and nearby dwellings. Illuminated signs must not be a…

Clark County requires outdoor lights, except seasonal holiday lights, to be directed or shielded to minimize glare visible from streets, nearby dwellings, and above the fixtures. This…

Portable and temporary signs, flags and banners are prohibited in unincorporated Clark County unless a temporary sign permit is approved by the responsible official. Garage-sale-type…

Clark County's sign code treats political and other noncommercial messages as on-premises signs. Any sign displaying a noncommercial (including political) message is allowed wherever…

Most Clark County parks are open from 7 a.m. to dusk, with hours varying slightly at a few parks (Luke Jensen Sports Park allows lighted use after dusk). Overnight camping is…