Kirkland, WA

Kirkland borders greenbelts and Lake Washington, drawing coyotes, deer, and raccoons. RCW 77.15.790 makes negligent feeding of bears, cougars, or wolves a gross misdemeanor statewide.

Kirkland allows up to 3 small domestic animals such as chickens per lot under 35,000 sq ft as accessory use, with more on larger lots. Roosters are effectively banned by KMC 11.84A…

Kirkland outright bans possessing an "inherently dangerous animal" within city limits under KMC 8.09.518, a list that covers non-domestic big cats, bears, venomous reptiles, giant…

Kirkland Municipal Code § 11.41.150(a)(4) makes it unlawful to point or shoot an air gun, BB gun, or similar device at a nongame bird, harmless bird, or songbird anywhere in the city…

Kirkland grooming parlors can't board animals, must sterilize equipment after every dog or cat, use restraining straps to prevent falls or injury, never leave animals unattended before…

Every dog in Kirkland must be on a leash no longer than eight feet whenever it's off the property where it lives, per KMC 8.09.500, except in city-designated off-leash areas or on…

Kirkland doesn't restrict dog breeds; instead, KMC 8.09.470-8.09.482 lets the animal control officer declare an individual dog potentially dangerous, dangerous, or vicious based on its…

Kirkland cats twelve weeks and older must be licensed and tagged (or tattooed) and, at six months, vaccinated against rabies; keeping four or more adult cats makes a property a cattery…

Kirkland limits veterinary offices in its High Density Residential zones to small-animal treatment only, bars outdoor runs, and requires an acoustical engineer's noise certification…

Kirkland caps household pets at three adult dogs, three adult cats, or four dogs and cats combined per dwelling unit, plus up to four rabbits, under KZC 115.20(2)(c). There's no cap on…

Unincorporated King County has no ban on retail dog or cat sales: pet shops can sell commercially sourced animals. But every pet shop, animal shelter, hobby kennel, and hobby cattery…

In unincorporated King County, keeping an unaltered dog or cat past kittenhood/puppyhood is unlawful unless the owner holds an unaltered pet license for that animal.

King County accepts an implanted microchip as a substitute for a metal license tag on licensed pets, and separately requires microchipping before any shelter adoption and before…

Unincorporated King County caps backyard beehives at fifty on lots under five acres, with no cap on larger parcels, and requires colonies in movable-frame hives.

Kirkland requires working smoke alarms in every bedroom and on every level, plus CO alarms outside sleeping areas, under WA IRC R314-R315 and RCW 19.27.530.

Kirkland bans the sale, possession, use, and discharge of fireworks citywide. KMC 11.60.020 and 11.60.030 make it unlawful to sell any fireworks in the city or to possess, use…

Kirkland limits the total propane (LP-gas) stored at any single installation to an aggregate water capacity of 2,000 gallons under KMC 21.20.610, the city's amendment to International…

Kirkland applies the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code to construction within its wildland-urban interface areas under KMC Chapter 21.50. KMC 21.50.020(a) sets the…

Backyard fires in Kirkland must be under 3 feet wide, 25 feet from structures, clean-wood fueled, and attended until fully extinguished; burn bans suspend all open wood fires.

Outdoor burning of yard debris and trash is banned year-round in Kirkland under PSCAA Regulation I and RCW 70.94; only small recreational fires with clean firewood are allowed.

Unincorporated King County lets homeowners clear brush and prune trees near a house for wildfire safety without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distance limits set by county…

RCW 64.37.050 requires all Washington short-term rental operators to carry at least 1 million dollars in liability insurance or use a platform that provides equivalent coverage for…

Operators must register their Kirkland STR through the FileLocal business license portal, state DOR, and include the City license number in every online listing under Ordinance O-4755.

Kirkland limits any single detached home to two short-term rental agreements in effect at once, and owners must keep guest counts within the Zoning Code's cap on unrelated occupants…

Kirkland ties short-term rental legality to someone being on hand: an owner living there continuously gets unlimited rental days, while an owner who is away part of the time must line…

Kirkland only permits short-term rentals of a detached home when it is the owner's or authorized agent's primary residence, whether that means living there continuously or at least two…

Kirkland lets owners who aren't always home still run a short-term rental, up to one hundred twenty days a year, as long as they occupy the unit as their primary residence at least two…

Kirkland caps short-term rentals at one hundred twenty nights a year for owners who aren't continuously living on site, and separately limits any one home to two rental agreements in…

Kirkland requires every short-term rental agreement to include provisions urging guests to avoid noise, littering, parking and trespass conflicts with neighbors, and holds the owner…

Kirkland requires short-term rental owners to meet the same parking standards imposed on bed-and-breakfast houses in the Zoning Code, which can require up to one parking stall per…

Kirkland collects a one percent lodging excise tax on every short-term rental charge, and KMC 7.02.310 makes it the short-term rental owner's responsibility to ensure that tax under…

Home-based food production in Kirkland needs a WSDA Cottage Food Operations permit under RCW 69.22, with sales capped at 25,000 dollars and approved non-hazardous foods only.

Kirkland caps a home-based business at six client or customer visits per day and no more than two visitors on site at once, under KZC 115.65(4)(g). Visits are restricted to the hours…

Kirkland allows a home occupation as an accessory use in a single-family home, multifamily unit or Accessory Dwelling Unit, provided the operator lives on site and holds a City…

A Kirkland home occupation may display only one building-mounted, non-illuminated sign of up to two square feet, under KZC 115.65(4)(i). No other exterior sign of any kind is allowed…

Family daycare homes serving 12 or fewer children are allowed as a home occupation in Kirkland residential zones, subject to KZC 115.42 standards and Washington DCYF licensing under…

Washington has no microenterprise home kitchen permit. WAC 246-215-08300 bars operating a food establishment without a permit from the local health jurisdiction, and the one permit…

Rainwater harvesting is legal in Kirkland for outdoor irrigation under WA Ecology Policy 1017; residential potable use requires a plumbing permit and treatment under state rules.

During a declared water shortage, Kirkland's public works director can forbid, restrict, or ration irrigation and other water uses citywide or for specific customer classes under KMC…

Kirkland's zoning code requires supplemental landscaping on developed lots to reach 80 percent living-plant coverage within two years and gives explicit preference to native plant…

Kirkland lets owners of developed property remove two to four regulated trees a year without a permit, scaled to lot size, as long as they first file a tree removal notification form…

Kirkland puts street trees in the public right-of-way under city control: adjacent property owners must water and mulch them and may trim branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter for…

Kirkland's Property Maintenance Code bans weeds and grass over eighteen inches tall on any premises or exterior property in the city. Code enforcement can enter under a warrant, cut…

Kirkland allows artificial turf in yards and counts it toward the lot coverage exemptions list under KZC 115.90(2)(g), but installation cannot conflict with tree retention, critical…

Unincorporated King County's litter and dumping law carves out backyard composting: King County Code § 10.04.080(B)(1) says a compost pile or bin is never an unlawful accumulation of…

Kirkland bars parking in marked loading zones between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., though a bona fide delivery vehicle may stand there as long as reasonably necessary to load or unload…

Kirkland's core stopping-and-parking rule, KMC 12.45.320, bars blocking driveways, parking within five feet of a driveway's curb radius, sidewalks, crosswalks, intersections, and…

A vehicle or hulk left in a Kirkland public right-of-way for 24 hours counts as abandoned under KMC 12.40.010. Police, parking enforcement, or a chief-authorized official can direct a…

Kirkland defines overnight parking as leaving a vehicle in one spot for more than six continuous hours between midnight and 5 a.m., per KMC 12.45.010(7). Streets posted with a…

Kirkland bans parking or storing a truck tractor or any vehicle of 25,000 pounds gross weight or more on any street, highway, or public parking facility, under KMC 12.45.210(b). The…

Kirkland uses curb color to mark no-parking zones under KMC 12.45.220: a red curb means no parking at any time, and a yellow curb means no parking for uses like a fire lane or delivery…

Kirkland's zoning code lets developers set aside certain off-street parking stalls as preferential parking. Under KZC 105.67, any restriction limiting who can use those preferred…

Kirkland limits driveways and parking areas in a required front yard to 20 feet wide, set back at least five feet from side property lines, with an 18-inch landscape strip separating…

Kirkland allows Level I and Level II electric vehicle charging stations as an accessory use in every use zone in the city under KZC 115.33. Faster Level III rapid chargers and battery…

Kirkland bans parking or storing any vehicle, boat, or trailer over nine feet tall and 22 feet long on residential lots, with exceptions for enclosed garages, brief loading, and legacy…

Unincorporated King County designates certain arterials and school bus routes as snow emergency routes: the roads plowed and sanded first when winter weather hits, ahead of…

Washington caps what a private-property tow can cost. Under RCW 46.55.118, a class A, D or E tow truck operator's filed hourly towing rate cannot exceed 135 percent of the State…

Kirkland's public disturbance ordinance bans frequent or continuous vehicle horns and sirens except as safety warnings, bans disruptive engine testing or repair noise in residential…

Kirkland bans musical instruments, band sessions and audio sound systems in buildings or on watercraft when they unreasonably disturb neighbors, and separately caps portable audio…

Kirkland treats power equipment, including leaf blowers, as a public nuisance if operated before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. on weekdays, or before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on weekends and…

Construction and other development activity in Kirkland may only run 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays under KZC 115.25. It's barred entirely on Sundays…

Kirkland bans yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing near public streets, especially between eleven p.m. and seven a.m., when it disturbs neighboring property owners. KMC…

Kirkland declares a barking dog a public nuisance once the noise runs continuously for ten or more minutes or intermittently for twenty or more minutes in a stretch, per KMC…

Unincorporated King County limits industrial-source sound to 70 dB(A) reaching other industrial land, tapering to 65 dB(A) into commercial areas, 60 dB(A) into residential zones and 57…

In unincorporated King County, noise from aircraft and helicopters in flight, plus airport flight operations, is fully exempt from the county noise ordinance's maximum sound level and…

Kirkland caps the transportation impact fee on a new accessory dwelling unit at fifty percent of the fee that would apply to the principal house on the same lot. The cap, set by KMC…

Kirkland allows up to two accessory dwelling units per single-family lot, attached or detached, each capped at 1,200 square feet, permitted through the Planning and Building Department…

Kirkland caps detached accessory structures like sheds, garages and barns at 1,200 square feet, plus 10 percent of any lot area over 7,200 square feet, and limits their height under…

Converting a detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit in Kirkland is exempt from the zone's current setback and lot coverage rules under KZC 115.07(6), so long as the conversion…

Washington allows tiny houses on permanent foundations under IRC Appendix Q (adopted in the state building code) for dwellings 400 square feet or less. RCW 35.21.686 governs tiny…

Kirkland requires a building permit under KMC 21.06.205 to construct an in-ground or deep residential pool, and the pool must meet the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code per KMC…

Kirkland requires a fence or barrier at least forty-eight inches tall around any private pool, hot tub or spa deeper than twenty-four inches, under KMC 21.41.303(b). Gates must be…

Kirkland caps rockeries and retaining walls in a required yard at four feet high. Where a fence sits within five feet of a retaining wall, the combined height of both may not exceed…

Fences in Kirkland can be up to 6 feet tall almost anywhere on a lot, but not within 15 feet of a street curb unless a survey fixes the property line, and single-family or middle…

Barbed wire is barred in Kirkland except when it tops a fence or wall that's already at least 6 feet tall, and free-standing electrified fences are banned outright except to contain…

Unincorporated King County exempts fences up to 6 feet tall from a building permit under King County Code § 16.02.240, the county's local substitute for Section 105.2 of the…

Washington's partition fence law requires adjoining landowners using a boundary fence for livestock to share construction and maintenance costs equitably under RCW 16.60.

Kirkland landlords must follow Washington RCW 59.18.650 just cause eviction law, which requires one of 16 enumerated reasons to terminate tenancy. Notice periods range from 3 to 120…

Kirkland's Property Maintenance Code sets the habitability floor every rental unit must clear: KMC 21.41.401(b) bars renting out space that lacks required light, ventilation or room…

Rent control is preempted statewide by RCW 35.21.830, so Kirkland landlords set market rents; tenant protections come from RCW 59.18 (Residential Landlord-Tenant Act) and HB 1351…

Since 2021, Washington's just-cause statute RCW 59.18.650 prohibits no-fault evictions of month-to-month tenants. Landlords in King County must cite one of sixteen enumerated causes…

For nonpayment of rent, a Washington landlord must serve a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice in the form set by RCW 59.18.057 before filing an unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12.030…

RCW 59.18.150 requires a Washington landlord to give at least two days' written notice before entering to inspect, repair, or maintain the unit, and at least one day's notice to show…

Under RCW 59.18.170, a Washington landlord may not charge any late fee on rent paid within five days of its due date; a fee may begin only once rent is more than five days past due…

Under RCW 59.18.200, a Washington tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 20 days' written notice. A landlord, however, cannot end a periodic tenancy at will: RCW…

Under RCW 59.18.140, a Washington landlord must give at least 90 days' prior written notice before raising rent (30 days for income-based subsidized housing). The 2025 Rent…

Washington sets no dollar cap on residential security deposits, but it controls how they are collected and returned. A landlord may collect a deposit only with a written rental…

Washington's general adverse possession period is 10 years under RCW 4.16.020, requiring possession that is actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous. A shorter…

Kirkland HOA dues, special assessments, and collection procedures follow RCW 64.90, which caps late fees and sets strict lien and foreclosure procedures.

Kirkland HOAs must enforce CCRs uniformly under RCW 64.90.545 and give written notice, opportunity to cure, and hearing rights before imposing fines or liens.

Kirkland HOA architectural review committees must follow the governing documents and RCW 64.90 good-faith standards, responding to homeowner requests within a reasonable time.

Washington requires HOA board meetings to be open to owners and gives owners broad record-access rights. WUCIOA communities follow RCW 64.90.445 (open meetings) and RCW 64.90.495…

This right applies only within Washington homeowners' associations governed by the Homeowners' Association Act, chapter 64.38 RCW: communities formed before July 1, 2018, excluding…

Washington homeowners associations and condo boards may not prohibit or unreasonably restrict a unit owner's electric vehicle charging station installed for personal, noncommercial use…

Washington's older Homeowners' Association Act, chapter 64.38 RCW, applies to HOAs formed before July 1, 2018 that have not opted into the newer Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act…

Both Washington regimes let HOAs impose reasonable fines, but only after notice and an opportunity to be heard and only under a fine schedule already adopted by the board and furnished…

Washington associations do hold a super-lien. Under RCW 64.90.485(3)(a)(i) of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, an association's lien jumps ahead of a first…

Washington condominium and HOA boards cannot cap or ban unit leasing by ordinary board rule. RCW 64.90.510(10)(c) lets a board restrict leasing only to the extent the rule mirrors…

Kirkland enforces property maintenance under KMC 21.41 and 1.12. Prohibited: junk, inoperable vehicles, overgrown vegetation, deteriorating structures. Abatement may include forced…

Kirkland puts sidewalk snow and ice removal on the abutting property owner, not the city. KMC 19.20.020 requires the owner to keep the sidewalk safe 'at all times,' naming ice and snow…

Vacant land in Kirkland isn't exempt from upkeep: KMC 21.41.301(c) requires vacant structures and vacant land to stay clean, safe, secure and sanitary so the parcel doesn't become a…

Kirkland city offices and employees cannot condition city services on a person's citizenship or immigration status under KMC 3.18.020. Staff may not initiate inquiries or enforcement…

Kirkland levies a one percent lodging excise tax on charges for hotel, motel, rooming house, tourist court, and trailer camp stays under KMC 5.19.010, collected by the state Department…

Kirkland customers must repair any defective or leaking pipe or plumbing fixture themselves under KMC 15.16.030. The duty falls on the customer, not the city, and pairs with a ban on…

King County's wastewater utility must actively pursue reclaimed water reuse and keeps exclusive ownership of all reclaimed water its treatment plants produce.

Kirkland requires a city license to run or work as a manager at an erotic performance establishment, on top of a regular business license. The establishment fee is $700 a year, the…

Kirkland requires a $75 annual city license before anyone can operate a massage parlor or public bathhouse, on top of a general business license, and bars operation between midnight…

Kirkland requires pawnbrokers to hold a $100 annual city license, hold pledged property untouched for 15 days after reporting it to police, and keep detailed transaction records open…

Kirkland requires secondhand dealers, including those handling metal junk and precious metals, to hold a $100 annual city license, keep a detailed transaction ledger, and report every…

To join Kirkland's police-dispatched towing list, a wrecker company must register with the chief of police, carry $1 million in liability coverage plus on-hook and garage keeper's…

Kirkland's home occupation rules block auto repair-style work at a residence: KZC 115.65(4)(d) bars heavy equipment, power tools and power sources that create noise, vibration, smoke…

Unincorporated King County requires any store selling cigarettes or other tobacco products, including vape and e-cigarette retailers, to hold a $210, three-year county tobacco license…

Kirkland bans social card games run as a commercial stimulant to boost food or drink sales, a gross misdemeanor punished as a separate crime each day, with only one grandfathered…

Washington exempts bona fide charitable and nonprofit organizations from Gambling Commission licensing when raffle, bingo, or amusement-game revenue stays under $5,000 a year…

Washington law defines a "player" under RCW 9.46.0265 as someone who gambles on equal terms with no profit beyond personal winnings. A private card game among friends is legal without…

Sports betting is legal in Washington only at tribal casinos operating under a class III gaming compact amended to include it, as RCW 9.46.0364 authorizes following ESHB 2638 (2020 c…

Kirkland handles large items like appliances, furniture and mattresses through On-Call Bulky Waste Collection, a separate per-occurrence, per-item service billed under KMC 16.12.030…

KMC 11.64.040 bans dumping litter, garbage, or debris on public property or on private property you don't own. Penalties scale with volume, from a civil infraction for under a cubic…

Kirkland gives every residential collection customer one free gray yard waste cart alongside the blue recycling cart under KMC 16.12.030. Grass clippings and branches go in that cart…

Kirkland single-family residents may set garbage, recycling and yard waste carts out no earlier than 24 hours before their collection day, and must pull carts back within 24 hours…

Kirkland commercial and multifamily properties can only store refuse in authorized garbage cans or detachable containers, kept at an established storage site rather than the curb…

Kirkland requires multifamily and commercial properties to participate in recycling collection of at least newspapers, mixed paper, and recyclable bottles, cans and plastic containers…

Kirkland requires garbage, recycling, and yard waste carts to be stored out of public view between collection days, screened behind fences, gates, or landscaping. Chronic visibility…

Certificated haulers in unincorporated King County must set their own holiday schedule and tell the county and customers about it in advance: King County Code § 10.18.010(E)(2)…

In unincorporated King County, certificated garbage haulers must pick up recyclables at least twice a month and put recycling on the same weekly day as regular trash collection.

In unincorporated King County, garbage carts can't contain yard waste: haulers are barred from collecting a container with visible grass clippings or branches mixed in with regular…

Dropping or leaving any object, material or structure on a Kirkland street, sidewalk or public right-of-way that blocks travel is a crime under KMC 19.04.010, treated as a public…

Anyone using a Kirkland street right-of-way, including a sidewalk or walkway, for personal or business use must first get a city street use permit under KMC 19.04.050, the general…

In Kirkland, the owner of the property abutting a public sidewalk bears the cost of maintaining and repairing it. KMC 19.20.030 puts the burden and expense on the abutting owner, and…

Kirkland Municipal Code § 11.20.070 makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally urinate or defecate anywhere in public other than a washroom or toilet, or anywhere the act could be seen by…

Kirkland bans smoking and tobacco use of any kind in every city park. KMC 11.80.216 covers cigarettes, herbal cigarettes, marijuana, cigars, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco, and…

Kirkland bans skateboarding at three specific public sites: Peter Kirk Park, the City Hall grounds, and the Plaza of Champions. Riders caught there face an infraction citation and can…

Kirkland makes it a violation to remain in or loiter within any city park or recreation area while intoxicated. KMC 11.80.242 sits among the park misdemeanor provisions, so a person…

Kirkland makes it unlawful to open or possess an open container of liquor in any place open to the public. KMC 11.84A.050 allows one narrow exception: a public area the city has…

Unincorporated King County treats a loud house party as a public disturbance noise violation, and the person in possession of the property, not just whoever is making the racket, is…

Restaurants that want to seat customers on a public Kirkland sidewalk need a street use permit under KMC 19.04.060-.068, valid January 1 through December 31, with a mandatory six-foot…

Groups or individuals who want exclusive or organized use of a Kirkland park must get a permit from the Parks and Community Services Department first. KMC 11.80.034 lets the department…

Parades in Kirkland fall under the special event permit chapter, KMC 19.24. Anyone conducting or promoting a parade must first get a permit from the special projects coordinator, and…

Fairs and festivals qualify as special events under Kirkland's code, and once a permit issues, only vendors authorized by the permit holder or under city contract may sell anything at…

Kirkland requires a fire operational permit for any mobile food preparation vehicle with appliances that produce smoke or grease-laden vapors or that run on LP-gas or CNG systems. The…

Flying a drone in a Kirkland park requires a permit from the Parks and Community Services Department. KMC 11.80.222 groups drones with motorized model aircraft, rockets, and…

Kirkland prohibits flying drones, model aircraft, rockets or remote-controlled vehicles in any city park unless the operator has a permit issued through the Parks and Community…

Kirkland bans its own government from using facial recognition technology outright. City officials and employees cannot obtain, retain, possess, access, or use facial recognition…

King County treats license-plate-reader data as personal information and bars county agencies and contractors from handing it to ICE, CBP, or USCIS for civil immigration enforcement…

Kirkland runs automated school-zone speed cameras, not red-light cameras: KMC 12.14.010 authorizes cameras only to catch speeding in marked school zones, active in two 30-minute…

Kirkland Municipal Code 19.40 defines Class 1, 2 and 3 electric-assisted bicycles by motor wattage and cutoff speed, then exempts all three classes from the citywide ban on motorized…

King County's traffic code regulates every motorized foot scooter operated on unincorporated county roads, alleys, trails and park property, including shared and dockless units. Riders…

In unincorporated King County, a transportation network company vehicle may not stop, stand or park on a county road except in a designated taxicab stand, unless it is briefly stopped…

Washington splits small street-legal vehicles into three statutory classes by top speed, and the rules for each are different. A golf cart tops out at 20 mph and may use public streets…

Kirkland closes every city park, including parking areas inside them, to the general public between ten p.m. and five a.m. the following day. KMC 11.80.226 exempts permitted overnight…

Washington does not impose a statewide juvenile curfew; cities may enact local curfews under general police powers, subject to constitutional limits.

Anyone in Kirkland who wants to install, alter, repair or replace a plumbing system must first apply to the building official and obtain a permit under KMC 21.06.205, part of the…

Kirkland enforces the 2023 Washington Cities Electrical Code as its Kirkland Electrical Code, and KMC 21.06.210 requires a permit for nearly every electrical job: installing, altering…

Kirkland requires a sequence of building-official inspections for any permitted construction, from footing and foundation through framing to a final inspection under KMC 21.06.420…

Kirkland doesn't mandate fire sprinklers in an ordinary detached single- or two-family home. KMC 21.06.030(2) adopts IRC Appendix U, Dwelling Unit Fire Sprinkler Systems, but the city…

Kirkland's Zoning Code requires qualifying residential, commercial and mixed-use developments to certify to a recognized green building program under KZC 115.62: ILFI Living Building…

Unincorporated King County lets state-licensed family day care homes build to the residential code instead of the commercial code; larger stand-alone child care centers still must meet…

Unincorporated King County requires dwelling entry doors to have a dead bolt lock operable from inside without a key, mounted no higher than 48 inches.

Unincorporated King County requires a building permit for most interior renovation work; simple finish work like painting, flooring, and cabinets is exempt, and a site plan is waived…

Kirkland requires a drainage permit before any project adding 500 square feet or more of new impervious surface, disturbing 7,000 square feet of land, or installing a pipe 12 inches or…

Kirkland limits waterfront property owners to one pier or dock per lot, capped at 480 square feet of surface coverage and 150 feet in length under KZC 83.270. Moorage space cannot be…

Kirkland requires new and substantially improved residential structures in special flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, at least one foot above the…

Any construction or fill in a Kirkland special flood hazard area needs a development permit under KMC 21.56.055, plus a FEMA-standard habitat assessment. Flood hazard areas are drawn…

Kirkland's zoning code makes it a violation for a property owner to let construction or site conditions erode, undermine, or deposit sediment onto a neighboring property, under KZC…

Unincorporated King County lets property owners clear brush and prune trees for wildfire defensible space without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distances from the house set…

Washington's Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58) requires Shoreline Substantial Development Permits for most construction within 200 feet of marine and freshwater shorelines statewide.

Kirkland does not run its own landmarks board: KMC 28.08.010 designates the King County Landmarks and Heritage Commission to review and approve landmark and cultural-monument…

Kirkland bans any sign that rotates, turns or moves by electrical or mechanical means, which sweeps in electronic message displays. A changing message center escapes that ban only if…

Kirkland's sign code does not regulate signs placed on the interior side of a window, so there is no citywide coverage-percentage cap on window signage, unless the property sits under…

Kirkland regulates garage sale signs as temporary event signs under its zoning code. Each sign can't exceed six square feet per face, with no cap on how many you post, and every sign…

Political signs on private property need the owner's written consent, and unincorporated King County requires them removed within ten days after the election under County Code chapter…

In unincorporated King County, billboards facing traffic corridors may only sit on CB, RB, or I zoned land, must be within 100 feet of the adjacent arterial, and are capped at five…

Kirkland requires every development citywide to select, place and direct light sources so glare does not extend onto adjacent properties or the right-of-way. Rose Hill Business…

New development in Kirkland's NE 85th St. Station Area must shield exterior lighting to cut uplight and light trespass. KZC 57.25.040(1)(d) caps illuminance at the development boundary…

Unincorporated King County allows billboards to be illuminated, but light sources must sit no farther from the sign than its height and can't shine directly into homes or streets.

Kirkland caps a single-family lot at 50 percent impervious lot coverage under KZC 15.30.060, the Density/Dimensions Table for the city's Low Density Residential zones. RSA-zoned lots…

Kirkland limits detached house height to 25 feet above average building elevation (ABE) in RS, PLA 3C and PLA 6E zones, and to 30 feet in RSX, RSA and PLA 16 zones, under the KZC…

Detached single-family homes in Kirkland's Low Density Residential zones (RS, RSX, RSA) must sit back 20 feet from the front property line, 5 feet from each side yard with both sides…

New development in downtown Kirkland's Central Business District must comply with Chapter 92 KZC Design Regulations, covering site planning, facade transparency, weather protection…

Kirkland grants two bonus market-rate units for every Affordable Housing Unit a developer builds or pays for in lieu, in zones where density is set by dividing lot size by the minimum…

Kirkland bans planting or retaining any species on the City's Prohibited Plant List. The rule has applied citywide since February 14, 2008, and property owners must clear invasive…

Kirkland classifies any regulated tree with a trunk 26 inches or more in diameter as a landmark tree, and KZC 95.23 bars removing one from public or private property without a tree…

Kirkland requires street trees spaced 30 feet on-center in the landscape strip between curb and sidewalk on improved rights-of-way, with City-approved species, a 2-inch planting…

Kirkland lets licensed marijuana retailers operate but boxes them in with location rules: a hard 100-foot buffer from any child care center, a citywide ban on stores abutting mapped…

Kirkland applies the state's marijuana buffer rule from licensed child care centers: retailers can locate within 1,000 feet of a center but no closer than 100 feet, per KZC 115.155.

Washington uniquely prohibits recreational home cultivation of cannabis statewide, with cultivation only permitted by licensed producers and qualifying medical patients.

Kirkland permits temporary homeless encampments only under a Planning and Building Department permit that caps residents at 100, requires a sponsor and managing agency, and mandates…

Kirkland requires HVAC and similar mechanical equipment to sit at least five feet from any front, side, or rear property line, with screening and noise limits enforced under KZC…

In unincorporated King County, loud or raucous sound from a bar, nightclub or similar venue that reaches a residential or rural area, including band sessions or social gatherings, is a…

In unincorporated King County, amplified bass that's plainly audible or felt 50 feet from the source (300 feet for watercraft) in a residential or rural district is a public…

In unincorporated King County, generators count as regulated 'equipment,' so their noise can't exceed the county's maximum permissible sound levels: as low as 49 dB(A) reaching a rural…

Unincorporated King County treats a frequent, repetitive or continuous horn or siren on a motor vehicle, including a car alarm, as unlawful public disturbance noise unless it's warning…

Kirkland allows only ground- or roof-mounted solar collectors in residential zones. Ground-mounted units are capped at six feet tall and must sit behind the front facade of the home…

Washington's RCW 64.38.055 and RCW 64.90 limit how Kirkland homeowners associations can restrict rooftop solar, protecting reasonable installations from outright bans while allowing…

Kirkland property owners and occupants must keep buildings and premises free of rats, mice and other rodents under KMC 21.41.302(e), and must eradicate any infestation that occurs…

Unincorporated King County lets any occupant bar door-to-door solicitors just by posting a sign. Under King County Code § 12.66.010, once a "No Solicitation" or "No Trespassing" sign…

Soliciting contributions for charitable or religious purposes in unincorporated King County requires a permit from the county director before any fundraiser begins: there is no general…

Unincorporated King County protects farmland with a dedicated Agricultural (A) zone that limits residential density and restricts uses to those compatible with farming.

King County levies a 1% tax on vehicle parking charges at the stadium and exhibition center owned by the Washington State Public Stadium Authority, rising to 10% once construction…

King County targets citations within 60 days of a complaint and notice-and-orders within 120 days, per code enforcement guidelines.

Unincorporated King County residents report suspected code violations through the county's online Permitting portal or by calling code enforcement at 206-296-6600; the code authorizes…

Washington RCW 49.46 sets a statewide minimum wage adjusted annually for inflation; as of 2026 it is $17.13 per hour. Washington does not preempt local minimum wages, so several cities…

Washington RCW 49.46.200 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees, and RCW 50A.04 provides paid family and medical leave funded by payroll premiums.

Washington issues concealed pistol licenses under RCW 9.41.070 on a shall-issue basis to qualified applicants, with statewide preemption preventing local concealed carry rules.

Washington RCW 9.41.290 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, reserving authority over firearm laws to the state legislature with very limited exceptions.

Washington allows open carry of firearms by qualified adults without a permit, with limited statutory restrictions and broad preemption barring most local open carry rules.

Washington RCW 9.41.050 governs carrying firearms in vehicles statewide, requiring a concealed pistol license to carry a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle.

Washington does not operate sobriety checkpoints, and no section of the Revised Code of Washington authorizes one. The only suspicionless power to stop a driver that the Legislature…

Washington is an all-party consent state, and the rule lives in the Washington Privacy Act at RCW 9.73.030. That section reaches only a private communication or a private conversation…

Washington has no general stop-and-identify statute. Someone stopped on a sidewalk in Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma and asked who they are has no statutory duty to answer, and staying…

Washington has no statute telling an adult driver what happens when an officer asks to search the car, and there is no logging or written-consent requirement of the kind Texas and…

Washington RCW 70A.530 bans single-use plastic carryout bags statewide and requires retailers to charge a pass-through fee for compliant paper or reusable bags.

Washington RCW 70A.245 bans expanded polystyrene foam food service containers, packing peanuts, and coolers in phases starting June 2024 to combat plastic pollution.

Washington RCW 70A.550 limits single-use food service ware including plastic straws and utensils to upon-request distribution at restaurants and food service businesses.

Washington RCW 26.28.080 sets the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and vapor products at 21, aligning with federal Tobacco 21 standards statewide.

Washington has not enacted a statewide flavored tobacco ban, leaving flavor restrictions to limited Department of Health authority and federal FDA enforcement on flavored vapor…

Washington splits its extra-lighting rules between the statute and the State Patrol's rules, and the part most drivers care about lives in the rules. RCW 46.37.180 allows up to two…

Washington has no statute that names dash cameras, so mounting one is governed by a single test in RCW 46.37.410(2): no sign, poster or other nontransparent material may sit on the…

Lane splitting is expressly illegal in Washington. RCW 46.61.608(3) states flatly that no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Washington bans license plate covers outright. RCW 46.16A.200(7)(c)(i) makes it unlawful to use license plate holders, frames, covers, or other materials that conceal, obstruct…

Nothing in Washington law restricts a radar detector in a private passenger vehicle. Chapter 46.37 RCW, the vehicle equipment chapter that fixes fog lamp mounting heights to the inch…

Washington allows metal studded tires only in the winter half of the year. RCW 46.37.420(2) makes it unlawful to use metal studs imbedded within the tire between April 1st and November…

Washington lets you tint every window except the windshield down to 24 percent light transmission, with outward reflectance capped at 35 percent, but RCW 46.37.430(5)(a) measures that…