Animal Ordinances in Island County, WA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Island County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Chapter 6.16, Stock Restricted Areas, declares the entire unincorporated area of Island County a restricted zone where no livestock may run at large. The countywide ban has applied since 1973 and traces its authority to the state's stock-at-large statute; the code prints no separate backyard-chicken keeping standard.
Livestock At-Large Ban in Island County
Some RestrictionsIsland County Code §§ 6.16.010, 6.16.020
6.16.010 - Restriction imposed. No livestock shall be allowed to run at large within the areas of Island County described in section 6.16.020. ... 6.16.020 - Restricted areas. The entire area of Island County shall be a restricted area for livestock.
Dog Leash Laws
Outside authorized off-leash parks, a dog anywhere in unincorporated Island County must be on a leash or chain no more than eight feet long whenever it is away from its owner's premises and in a public place or on someone else's property, under section 6.08.090; the old standalone 'Dog Leash Law' chapter was folded into this section decades ago.
Island County Dog At-Large and Leash Law
Some RestrictionsIsland County Code § 6.08.090
A.Control off-premises. Except as provided in subsection B., below, it is unlawful for the owner, keeper, or person having custody or control of any dog:1.To permit a dog to run at large on public school grounds or public playgrounds;2.To permit a female dog to run at large while in heat; or3.To permit a dog to roam, run, stray, or be away from the premises of the owner or custodian and to be i...
Breed Restrictions
Island County has no breed-specific ban; Chapter 6.08 instead targets individually dangerous dogs. Section 6.08.181 lets an officer slay a fierce, dangerous, or depredatory dog that cannot be safely captured, and section 6.08.182 requires ten days of secure confinement any time a dog bites or breaks a person's skin.
Dangerous Dog Rules in Island County
Significant RestrictionsIsland County Code §§ 6.08.181, 6.08.182
6.08.181 - Slaying dangerous dogs. If any fierce, dangerous, vicious, or depredatory dog or dogs cannot be safely taken up and impounded, such animal may be slain by any police officer or authorized animal control officer. ... 6.08.182 - Confinement of a biting dog. It is unlawful for the owner of any dog, when notified that such dog has bitten any person or has so injured any person as to caus...
Exotic Pets
Island County Code § 6.20.030 bans owning, harboring, or possessing any felidae (wild cats) in the unincorporated county and prohibits letting any inherently dangerous mammal run at large in a way that could endanger people. Chapter 6.20 exempts accredited zoos, licensed research and veterinary facilities, and USDA-licensed exhibitors.
Inherently Dangerous Mammal Ban in Island County
Heavy RestrictionsIsland County Code § 6.20.030
A.No person shall own, harbor, possess or have custody or control of felidae in the unincorporated area of Island County.B.No person owning or harboring, having custody, control, or possession of an inherently dangerous mammal shall permit or allow the same to be at large upon any highway, street, lane, alley, court, or any other place, public or private, or within the premises of such person, ...
Pet Limits
Keeping more than ten adult dogs, ten adult cats, or a mix of both for personal, non-commercial purposes anywhere in unincorporated Island County makes the property a 'private kennel' that must be licensed by the Animal Control Division under Chapter 6.10, even though there is no lower cap on ordinary household pet ownership.
Island County Private Kennel Threshold
Some RestrictionsIsland County Code §§ 6.02.020, 6.10.020
Private kennel means any location where more than ten (10) adult dogs, ten (10) adult cats, or a combination thereof, are kept for personal, non-commercial purposes where the owner(s) does not receive compensation. This definition shall include but not be limited to non-profit animal rescues, shelters, sanctuaries, etc. Animal shelters owned, operated or maintained under contract to the county,...
Cat Rules
Island County does not license cats the way it licenses dogs, but it does require every cat, along with dogs and ferrets, to be vaccinated against rabies under section 6.08.050, and it separately makes it unlawful to abandon a cat anywhere in the county under Chapter 6.04, backed by a misdemeanor penalty.
Island County Cat Rabies and Abandonment Rules
Light RestrictionsIsland County Code §§ 6.04.010, 6.04.030, 6.08.050
It shall be unlawful to intentionally abandon a dog, cat, or other animal within the limits of Island County. ... Any person who shall violate any of the sections of this chapter shall be guilty of misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or imprisonment of not more than ninety (90) days in the Island County Jail for each violation. ... All dogs,...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In unincorporated Island County, the Rural Lands use table confines veterinary clinics to the Commercial Agriculture zone, where they are a ministerial, Type I permitted use. The table leaves the Rural, Rural Agriculture, Rural Forest and Parks zones blank for veterinary clinics, meaning the use is not listed as allowed there.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning in Island County
Some RestrictionsIsland County Code § 17.03.035.B
INSTITUTIONAL USES R RA RF CA PK See Also CLEAR ZONE APZ I APZ II ... Veterinarian clinic P/I No No No
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