Animal Ordinances in Clark County, WA (2026)
7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Clark County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
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 urban livestock must follow best-management practices to control odor, noise, and manure.
Livestock keeping and setbacks in unincorporated Clark County
Some RestrictionsCCC 40.260.235(D)(1)
The development standards of the underlying zone shall apply, except that the setbacks for new structures used for large livestock shall be twenty (20) feet from all property lines.
Dog Leash Laws
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 declared a public nuisance and may be seized and impounded.
Dog leash and at-large rules in unincorporated Clark County
Some RestrictionsCCC 8.15.020(1)
It is unlawful for the owner or custodian of any dog to cause, permit, or allow such dog to roam, run, stray or be away from the premises of such owner or custodian... within the boundaries of a leash law area... unless such dog be controlled by a leash.
Breed Restrictions
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 proper enclosure, muzzle-and-leash, $250,000 liability coverage, and microchipping.
No dog breed ban in Clark County: dangerous dogs regulated by
Some RestrictionsCCC 8.18.060(2), (1)(a)
The owner of a dangerous dog shall not permit the dog to be outside the proper enclosure unless the dog is muzzled and restrained by a substantial chain or leash and under physical restraint of a responsible person... A proper enclosure shall mean a fully enclosed dog run or fence with a fence height of not less than six (6) feet with self-closing and self-latching gates.
Exotic Pets
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 the enclosure for size and security before issuing.
Exotic and wild animals require a county license in Clark County
Some RestrictionsCCC 8.07.300
It is unlawful for any person to bring into the county, or to keep or harbor within the county, any wild animal as defined in Section 8.01.020 unless a license to do so shall have been first obtained from the animal protection and control program.
Wildlife Feeding
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 taking or possessing protected wildlife. Attracting animals that become a nuisance can still be abated.
Feeding wildlife in Clark County: no direct county ban
Some RestrictionsCCC 8.11.060(12)
The ownership, harboring, or keeping of any species of animals designated by the Washington State Department of Health pursuant to Chapter 246-100 WAC as dangerous to the public including any skunk, fox or raccoon, except as lawfully authorized for fur farming.
Pet Limits
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" requiring proper licensing and zoning. There is no comparable numeric cap on cats.
How many dogs you can keep before it is a kennel in
Some RestrictionsCCC 8.01.020(19)(b)-(c)
"Kennel" means either... Any premises outside the urban growth boundary at which more than nine (9) adult dogs are kept for any purpose... or... Any premises inside the urban growth boundary at which more than five (5) adult dogs are kept for any purpose.
Cat Rules
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 (trap-neuter-return) program for feral colonies.
Cat rules in Clark County: no leash law, community-cat program
Some RestrictionsCCC 8.01.020(11)
"Community cat program" means a program... pursuant to which feral and community cats are sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped, and returned to the location where they congregate.
Animal Ordinances by City in Clark County
1 cities in Clark County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Clark County ordinances
See every category we cover for Clark County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Clark County Ordinance Hub →