Spokane County, WA Ordinances (2026)

Spokane County's zoning code does not mandate a specific fence material for standard residential fences, but it distinguishes sight-obscuring from non-sight-obscuring fences and allows…

In unincorporated Spokane County, fences over 7 feet in height require a building permit. Fences at or under 7 feet do not need a building permit, but must still meet the zoning height…

Spokane County's general yard-setback rule keeps buildings out of required front, side and rear yards, but SCC 14.810.200(3) carves out a specific exception for smaller structures. Any…

Spokane County regulates retaining walls through two sections. SCC 3.10.020(d)(2) exempts the excavation for a wall authorized by a valid building permit from the grading permit…

Spokane County caps residential fences at six feet and nonresidential fences at eight feet. In the front or flanking street yard of a residential lot the cap drops to three feet for a…

A short-term rental in Spokane County collects Washington retail sales tax plus local sales tax on lodging under 30 days, and a special hotel/motel tax under RCW 67.28. The King County…

Unincorporated Spokane County has no standalone short-term-rental ordinance. A whole-home or B&B rental is regulated under the Zoning Code as a 'home industry' (bed-and-breakfast…

Spokane County has no STR-specific parking count. For a bed-and-breakfast home industry, SCC Title 14 states parking, traffic, and storage requirements 'shall be as approved by the…

There is no STR-specific noise rule in the county. A rental's noise is subject to Spokane County's public-disturbance nuisance provisions and Washington's maximum environmental noise…

Unincorporated Spokane County has no blanket primary-residence-only STR mandate, but the bed-and-breakfast pathway is defined as a home industry 'in association with a primary…

The county does not require a host to be on-site during stays. However, the bed-and-breakfast home industry is a family-operated use: only members of the family residing on the…

Industrial and commercial noise reaching homes in Spokane County is governed by WAC 173-60. An industrial (Class C) source may emit up to 60 dBA at a residence, 65 dBA at commercial…

Unincorporated Spokane County outlaws sounds from a radio, television, musical instrument or sound amplifier that annoy or disturb a reasonable person of normal sensitivity under SCC…

New homes and other residential structures built inside Fairchild Air Force Base's Military Influence Area 3/4 must meet a hard interior-noise standard: forty-five decibels day/night…

Washington's Department of Ecology sets Spokane County's nighttime quiet hours under WAC 173-60-040: residential (Class A) properties get a mandatory 10 dBA cutback between 10:00 p.m…

Unincorporated Spokane County exempts construction-site noise from its general noise-disturbance ban only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or at any hour if the work is more than…

Motor-vehicle noise in Spokane County is governed by statewide standards in WAC 173-62, not the county noise ordinance (SCC 6.12 exempts vehicles regulated by WAC 173-62). Cars under…

Unincorporated Spokane County makes it unlawful for a dog owner to let their dog howl, whine, or bark so as to unreasonably disturb a person or group of people. SCRAPS, the regional…

A vehicle a tow operator holds for 120 hours is legally abandoned under state law, and a certified junk vehicle can be removed and disposed of. On private property, Spokane County…

In the Spokane County Courthouse Complex parking area and other county-owned lots, SCC 46.48A.040 reserves marked loading zones for authorized commercial vehicles, limiting use to…

Spokane County's zoning code defines EV charging equipment as "electric vehicle infrastructure" and lists it as an outright permitted (P) use in every zoning matrix checked, including…

Front-yard parking for single-family and duplex homes in Spokane County's residential zones is capped at fifty percent of the lot's frontage or forty feet, whichever is less, under…

The unincorporated county has no blanket overnight on-street parking ban, but a 2018 chronic-nuisance code and a public-camping ordinance limit living or camping in vehicles. County…

Spokane County sets no numeric cap on RVs, boats or trailers parked at a home, but an inoperable or damaged RV can become a code-enforceable junk-vehicle nuisance. Living in an RV as a…

Spokane County has no ordinance setting a length or weight cap on vehicles parked at a residence. Oversized or inoperable vehicles are addressed indirectly through the junk-vehicle…

Spokane County bans stopping or parking within intersections, crosswalks, sidewalks, and within five feet of a driveway apron, and within twenty feet of a fire hydrant or crosswalk…

Maximum building height in Spokane County's Low Density and Low Density Plus Residential zones is 35 feet; Medium Density is 40 feet; High Density is 50 feet (65 feet for…

In Spokane County's urban residential zones, the front/flanking-street and side setback for a residence is 15 feet (20 feet for a garage). The rear setback is 5 feet plus 1 foot for…

In Spokane County, maximum building coverage is 55% of lot area in the Low Density and Low Density Plus Residential zones, 65% in Medium Density Residential, and 70% in High Density…

Unincorporated Spokane County requires an annual license to harbor or own an 'inherently dangerous mammal' (wild cats, bears, wild canids) or dangerous reptile, and only adults 18+ may…

Development within one-quarter mile of a documented den or nest site of a non-game priority bird species in unincorporated Spokane County triggers habitat protection standards under…

Spokane County does not ban any dog breed; SCRAPS instead declares an individual dog dangerous under SCC 5.04.020(13) based on what it actually did, severe injury, multiple bites, or a…

Spokane County bans letting a dog run at large anywhere in the county, licensed or not, under SCC 5.04.070(1). Walking or exercising a dog in public is fine only on a leash, tether or…

Keeping five or more dogs or cats over six months old in unincorporated Spokane County triggers a kennel classification. Five to eight dogs (or five to ten cats) is a private kennel…

Spokane County bars selling, giving away, or even advertising an animal for sale on public property or on private property that's open to the public, such as a parking lot, sidewalk…

Livestock keeping in unincorporated Spokane County's agricultural and forestry zones is capped at three livestock units per gross acre. A horse, cow, or hog equals one unit; a goat or…

Spokane County does not require microchips on ordinary pets, but a dog SCRAPS has declared dangerous must be identified with a microchip implant at the owner's expense under SCC…

A veterinary clinic in Spokane County's rural R-5, RAC or UR zones must keep all treatment rooms, cages and runs inside a fully enclosed, soundproofed building and cannot board healthy…

Beekeeping is allowed as a primary or accessory use on agricultural and forestry lots in unincorporated Spokane County. Hives must sit 25 feet from any right-of-way and 5 feet from…

Spokane County regulates cats under SCC 5.04.067. Owners must keep cats from roaming while unaltered at six months or older, from trespassing on private property, from menacing people…

Backyard residential pools need a Spokane County building permit; the barrier is inspected. Public and shared (WRF) pools additionally require a Washington DOH construction permit…

Every private swimming pool in unincorporated Spokane County must meet the barrier standards of IRC Appendix G before it holds any water. Spokane County Code 3.11.010 bars a pool cover…

In unincorporated Spokane County, letting your property fall into a blighting condition is a nuisance. SCC Chapter 6.13 makes anyone in charge maintain their property free of nuisances…

Unincorporated Spokane County treats an unsecured, uncontrolled vacant lot or abandoned building as a nuisance under SCC 6.13.040(2)(K). Code enforcement can issue a $250 civil…

Certificated haulers provide the containers, and materials are collected 'on the improved public road nearest to the residence' when properly set out on the designated collection day…

Dumping litter or solid waste on any public or private land in unincorporated Spokane County is prohibited by SCC 8.26.020 and Washington's litter law RCW 70A.200.060. Penalties scale…

Spokane County runs a mandatory regional solid-waste system. Solid waste generated in unincorporated areas must go to a system disposal site, and it is unlawful to fail to deliver, or…

Certified haulers serving unincorporated Spokane County's urban areas must collect a defined list of recyclables under SCC 8.58.040, must display their business name and phone number…

In unincorporated Spokane County's Commercial zones, every outdoor trash, garbage and refuse storage area, including dumpsters and roll-off boxes, must be screened from public view…

Bulky and 'problem' wastes go to county transfer stations under set rules. SCC 8.56.220 limits loose tires to five per load, bars unaccepted materials, and the county charges by…

In urban unincorporated Spokane County, certified haulers must collect co-mingled recyclables from every eligible single-family residence at least every other week, on the same day as…

In unincorporated Spokane County, a one-story detached storage shed under 200 sq ft needs no building permit, but must still meet zoning setbacks. Total accessory-structure floor area…

Spokane County allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per single-family lot. Detached ADUs are capped at 800 sq ft on the ground floor and 2 bedrooms, on lots of at least 10,000 sq…

Converting a garage or attached space into living quarters is treated as creating an accessory dwelling unit or added living area under Zoning Code Chapter 14.606. It needs a building…

Spokane County Zoning Code Chapter 14.826 requires that any outdoor lighting be positioned and shielded so it does not shine directly onto a neighboring residence. Parking-lot lighting…

Under Spokane County Zoning Code 14.826.100, outdoor lights must be shielded so they do not shine directly onto a neighbor's home. Parking-lot fixtures must also be down-shielded to…

Billboards are banned outright in every zone in unincorporated Spokane County under SCC 14.804.050(10), so there is no county standard written specifically for billboard lighting; any…

A charcoal or wood-fired smoker, grill or barbecue used for cooking on private property in unincorporated Spokane County counts as a "recreational fire" under WAC 173-425-030(21), the…

Anyone buying, selling or consigning used goods more than three times a year in unincorporated Spokane County must hold a secondhand dealer license under SCC 7.05.020. The county…

Running a massage parlor or bathhouse in unincorporated Spokane County requires a sheriff-issued license under SCC 7.07.020, and every masseur or bathhouse attendant needs a separate…

Spokane County only lets the sheriff dispatch a towing operator who has been appointed by the board of county commissioners, whether on a rotational, contractual, or noncontractual…

Every adult entertainment establishment, manager and entertainer operating in unincorporated Spokane County must hold a separate county license, and no establishment may open to the…

Retailers in unincorporated Spokane County can't sell, give, sample or market e-cigarettes, liquid nicotine or their components to anyone under eighteen, under Chapter 8.62 of the…

Every pawnshop operating in unincorporated Spokane County must hold a county pawnbroker license before taking in a single pledge or purchase. SCC 7.04.020 makes operating without one…

Spokane County does not issue its own card-room license, but any card room operating in the unincorporated area must file a sworn notice of intent with the county treasurer 15 days…

Spokane County has designated a countywide weed extermination area under Chapter 8.32 of the county code, declaring Russian Thistle, Canada Thistle, Dalmatian Toadflax, Leafy Spurge…

Unincorporated Spokane County bars anyone under fifteen from being out in public after 11 p.m. without a parent, guardian, or written permission, and bars anyone under eighteen from…

Unless a county park posts its own hours, no one may be present, and no vehicle may stay parked, in a Spokane County park after 10:00 p.m. under SCC 6.14.110. Gated parks can post…

A Spokane County planned unit development cannot exceed the underlying zone's base density unless the hearing examiner approves a density bonus under section 14.704.310. Developers…

Spokane County Code 3.02.050 governs every building inspection in the unincorporated county: passing one never excuses a code violation, and the inspector's sign-off creates no duty to…

Spokane County's own building code carves electrical work out of its permitting authority. SCC 3.03.030 deletes the IBC's electrical section, and SCC 3.04.020(b) deletes the IRC's…

Spokane County enforces Washington's statewide carbon monoxide alarm mandate as part of the state building code it adopts wholesale under SCC 3.01.030. RCW 19.27.530 required new…

Unincorporated Spokane County adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and requires a separate plumbing permit for any plumbing installation tied to a permitted building project. The…

Unincorporated Spokane County treats a child day-care center serving more than thirty children as a conditional use in the Large Tract Agricultural, Small Tract Agricultural and Forest…

Spokane County Code 3.02.020 makes it unlawful to erect, alter, repair, move, or demolish any building, structure, mechanical, or plumbing system in the unincorporated county without a…

Washington's smoke detector law, RCW 43.44.110, requires a working smoke detection device in every dwelling unit rented to a tenant, built after 1980, or sold on or after July 1, 2019…

Consumer fireworks are banned in unincorporated Spokane County under Spokane County Code Chapter 3.17: no sale, possession, or discharge is allowed, even on the state's June 28-July 5…

A backyard fire pit or campfire in unincorporated Spokane County is a "recreational fire" under WAC 173-425-030(21) and does not need a burn permit as long as the fuel area stays at or…

Spokane County Code Chapter 3.16 sets wildfire-hardening construction standards for every home built in the unincorporated county. Section 3.16.020 requires Class C roofing…

Spokane County has no single fixed defensible-space clearance distance for all homes, but Washington DNR can require abatement of extreme fire hazards on forestland, and county fire…

Burning yard and garden debris is NOT allowed for most residents of Spokane County. Burning garbage and burn barrels are banned statewide. Only residents in a few delegated fire…

Spokane County's Large Tract and Small Tract Agricultural zones exist to keep commercial farmland in production. A parcel with mostly prime USDA soils cannot be rezoned out of the…

Land within a thousand feet of designated agricultural, forest or mineral resource land in Spokane County carries a recorded notice: lawful farming and forestry activity there cannot…

Any temporary tent structure used for an assembly, fair, revival or festival in unincorporated Spokane County needs a permit under SCC 3.18, and if food or drink is served, every food…

Urinating or defecating anywhere in a Spokane County park or facility other than the designated fixtures is a flat, unqualified prohibition under SCC 6.14.070(14), grouped with…

In unincorporated Spokane County, pedestrians who cross a roadway outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles under SCC 46.61.240. Crossing…

Anyone riding a skateboard on a public road, sidewalk, bike path, park or other public area in unincorporated Spokane County must wear an approved helmet with the strap fastened, under…

Unincorporated Spokane County bars anyone under 15 from loitering or congregating on streets, highways, or public places after 11:00 p.m. without a parent or written permission, and…

Spokane County's landscaping code directs developers to use native vegetation and retain existing plantings wherever possible, and it backs that preference with a real credit: any…

Spokane County's cable franchise code lets a franchisee trim trees that overhang county streets, alleys, sidewalks and rights-of-way whenever branches threaten to touch its wires or…

State law (RCW 17.10) requires every Spokane County property owner to eradicate Class A noxious weeds and control designated Class B and C weeds on their land. The Spokane County…

In unincorporated Spokane County, cutting trees for sale is a timber harvest under SCC Chapter 3.19, and a county Timber Harvest Permit is required on land platted after January 1…

Selling home-baked or other non-hazardous foods from a Spokane-area home requires a Washington State Department of Agriculture cottage food permit. Products must be made in your home…

Spokane County zoning allows two tiers of home-based business in residential zones: a low-impact "home profession" (often permitted outright) and a larger "home industry" (usually a…

Running a child care in your Spokane-area home requires a Washington DCYF family home license. A licensed family home provider may care for up to 12 children at a time. Providing care…

A Spokane County "home industry" may put up exactly one sign identifying the business, and that sign must be unlighted and no larger than 16 square feet. SCC 14.616.230(9)(d) sets the…

A "home industry" (a broad-scope home business or bed-and-breakfast operating in agricultural or forest zones) does not get fixed customer-parking numbers. SCC 14.616.230(9)(h) instead…

Spokane County designates historic landmarks and districts under Spokane County Code 1.48.110, run through a joint city/county Historic Landmarks Commission. A building, site, or…

Flying a drone, model rocket, or hot air balloon in a Spokane County park requires a permit from the Parks, Recreation & Golf Department director under SCC 6.14.040(11). The director…

On top of the state-authorized hotel/motel tax, lodging businesses in unincorporated Spokane County collect a separate Tourism Promotion Area special assessment of up to $4.00 per room…

Parcels fronting Interstate 90 and seven other named roadways fall under Spokane County's Aesthetic Corridor Overlay sign standards. Freestanding signs there cannot exceed 20 feet and…

Spokane County's sign code flatly bans both billboards and video boards in every zoning district, unincorporated countywide. SCC 14.804.050 lists them alongside roof signs and…

Spokane County does not require a sign permit for political signs, but the exemption covers the permit only. Every political sign must still stay out of the public right-of-way, keep…

Spokane County's zoning code has no garage sale sign category, so a sale sign is judged under the general sign rules. Portable signs over nine square feet are prohibited, off-premises…

Spokane County's default landscaping rule requires an automatic irrigation system on every required planting area, but section 14.806.180 lets the director approve xeriscaping or…

Spokane County requires a stormwater pollution prevention plan and erosion and sediment control best management practices for major land-disturbing activities under SCC 9.14.185…

Spokane County requires wildfire defensible space only within rural cluster developments (RCDs), the county's clustered-lot subdivision option in the Rural Traditional, Rural…

Spokane County requires new and substantially improved buildings in a mapped flood hazard area to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation, the Flood Protection Elevation…

Spokane County charges every developed parcel in unincorporated areas an annual stormwater service fee based on impervious surface area. Residential lots pay a flat equivalent…

Anyone who builds, fills, grades or sets a manufactured home on Spokane County land that lies even partly inside a mapped area of special flood hazard must first obtain a floodplain…

Under Spokane County Code § 11.20.030, Table 11.20.030A, floating docks, boat mooring and buoys carry a P: permitted without county review under the Critical Areas chapter. That…

Anyone wanting to install anything or do work within a Spokane County road right-of-way must first get a permit from the county road engineer under SCC 9.40.010, describing the…

Spokane County's road standards put sidewalk repair on the commercial property owner, not the county, whenever the owner pulls a building permit or changes the use of a building on a…

Spokane County allows but tightly zones marijuana retail: the use-tables in Title 14 permit it only in Regional Commercial and Light Industrial zones, marking it "not permitted" in…

Licensed marijuana production on Large Tract Agricultural, Small Tract Agricultural and Forest Lands parcels in unincorporated Spokane County must clear minimum buffers set by the…

Spokane County does not license street fairs on public roads by chapter and section, but it does directly regulate festivals, carnivals and vending inside its own park system: SCC…

Reserving any part of a Spokane County park for exclusive use, from a picnic shelter to a full-day gathering, takes a permit from the Parks, Recreation & Golf Department director under…

In a Spokane County park, no one can hold a parade, show, festival, carnival or fundraiser without first securing a permit or approval from the Parks, Recreation, & Golf Department…

When a Spokane County code enforcement officer documents a nuisance, SCC 6.13.070 requires a written notice of nuisance violation naming the address, the code section violated, and the…

Spokane County Code Chapter 6.13 defines a "nuisance" as any unlawful act or condition that endangers others' health, safety, or property, then lists the specific violations code…

Once Spokane County mails a notice of investigation for a zoning violation, the property owner has fourteen days to respond or show proof of compliance. Missing that window lets the…

Two or more camp facilities within roughly 300 feet of each other on public property meet Spokane County's definition of an "unauthorized encampment" under SCC 6.15.050(11). Once the…

In unincorporated Spokane County, cyclists must ride as near the right side of the roadway as practicable, may use a specially designated bicycle lane or the shoulder where one exists…

Spokane County's urban design standards set specific numbers for street trees planted along sidewalks in mixed-use zone development. Under SCC 14.900.720, the walking path must stay at…