Lakewood, WA

Lakewood, Washington does not set a blanket citywide noise curfew, but its public-disturbance ordinance specifically bars yelling, shouting, whistling or singing near public streets…

Lakewood, Washington requires extra sound insulation in new buildings inside the Clear Zone and Air Corridor 1/2 districts around Joint Base Lewis-McChord that sit within the 65 Ldn…

Lakewood, Washington's noise ordinance makes three kinds of vehicle sound a public disturbance: repeated repair or engine-testing noise in a residential district, a car stereo audible…

Lakewood, Washington bans amplified sound, loudspeakers, music or other audio equipment played loud enough to carry more than 50 feet from its source without the property owner's…

Lakewood, Washington bars construction noise, including equipment, power tools and hammering, between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on…

Lakewood, Washington's only numeric decibel standard for residential noise applies specifically to home occupations run from accessory buildings: LMC 18A.40.110(B)(7)(g) bars noise at…

Lakewood treats habitual howling, yelping or barking that unreasonably disturbs a neighbor as a code violation under LMC 6.04.090. Before any animal can be seized, an animal control…

Lakewood, Washington restricts noise from lawnmowers, powered hand tools like leaf blowers, snow removal equipment and composters to before 10:00 p.m. and after 7:00 a.m. on weekdays…

Lakewood, Washington makes it unlawful to tease, injure, kill, or otherwise harass any bird, fowl or other animal, or to feed one, inside any City park area under LMC 8.76.341. The…

Lakewood, Washington's use table permits veterinary clinics in its neighborhood commercial, downtown, general commercial and light industrial zones (NC1, NC2, CBD, C1, C2, I1) and…

Lakewood, Washington allows up to sixteen poultry, pigeons, ducks or rabbits per acre as an accessory use on any residential lot under LMC 18A.40.030(B)(3), with hutches set back ten…

Lakewood, Washington allows noncommercial backyard beekeeping under LMC 18A.40.030(B)(1) on any lot of at least 6,000 square feet with a single-family home, capped at three colonies…

Lakewood declares a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous under LMC 6.10, incorporating Washington's Chapter 16.08 RCW by reference. An animal control officer with probable cause…

Lakewood makes it unlawful for a dog, cat or other animal to be at large on any public street, sidewalk, park, playground or public building, or to trespass on private property without…

Lakewood requires a current license tag on any cat over eight weeks old, whether it stays home or roams, and any cat off its owner's property must be licensed regardless of age. Female…

Lakewood lets a household keep up to five dogs and/or cats without a kennel license, but owning, maintaining, or having six or more dogs and cats combined requires a commercial, hobby…

Lakewood does not ban retail pet sales, but LMC 6.06.023 requires any pet shop, defined as an establishment that acquires animals bred by others and sells or boards them, to hold a…

Lakewood defines a "grooming parlor" as any place where animals are bathed, clipped or combed for a fee, and LMC 6.06.023 requires that business to hold a license before operating…

Lakewood doesn't require microchipping for every pet, but once a dog is declared potentially dangerous or dangerous under LMC Chapter 6.10, its owner must implant a microchip for…

Lakewood, Washington, in Pierce County, bans private possession of exotic animals under LMC 6.14.030. The ban covers venomous snakes, primates, bears, wild cats, wolf hybrids and…

Lakewood, Washington bans feeding birds, fowl or any animal in city park areas under LMC 8.76.341, alongside teasing, molesting or throwing objects at wildlife. It is a civil…

Lakewood, Washington, requires a $35.00 alteration deposit before a repeatedly impounded, unaltered dog or cat can be redeemed under LMC 6.02.085. The deposit is refunded on proof of…

Lakewood, Washington limits fireworks sales to noon June 28th through 11:00 p.m. July 4th, and discharge to 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. on July 4th plus a New Year's window. Selling requires…

Washington law (RCW 43.44.110) requires smoke detection devices in all dwelling units. In Pierce County rentals, the landlord must install and ensure working alarms at move-in, while…

Backyard recreational fires are allowed in Pierce County without a permit, but only small fires burning clean wood or charcoal. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency caps them at three feet…

Outdoor burning in Pierce County is regulated by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which bans all land-clearing fires and prohibits yard-waste burning throughout urbanized areas…

Washington adopts the International Fire Code statewide under RCW 19.27.031, including NFPA 58 standards for liquefied petroleum gas (propane). These rules govern container placement…

Washington adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code statewide under RCW 19.27.560, effective July 1, 2023. New construction in designated WUI areas must meet…

Lakewood, Washington allows up to two accessory dwelling units on any lot with a detached single-family home, duplex, triplex or townhome under LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1). Detached and most…

Lakewood, Washington lets a homeowner convert an existing, legally built detached garage or accessory building into an accessory dwelling unit under LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(j). The…

Lakewood, Washington caps residential accessory buildings at 24 feet in height under LMC 18A.40.110(B)(9)(a). A small shed, greenhouse or gazebo under 120 square feet and 10 feet tall…

Unincorporated Pierce County treats a tiny home under 400 square feet on a permanent foundation as a residence permitted like a single-family house, while recreational vehicles cannot…

Pierce County caps traffic impact fees on accessory dwelling units at half the rate charged for the primary house. Under PCC 4A.40.030, an ADU built in unincorporated Pierce County…

Lakewood, Washington treats family day care as a permitted residential use under LMC 18A.40.110(B)(6), provided the operator holds a state license under Chapter 43.216 RCW. The home…

Lakewood, Washington permits home occupations in residential zones under LMC 18A.40.110(B)(7), but the business must stay subordinate to the home's residential use, run entirely…

Lakewood, Washington allows on-site client contact for a home occupation, but LMC 18A.40.110(B)(7)(d) caps it at no more than two vehicle trips per hour to the licensed residence…

A Pierce County home occupation's signage isn't covered by a home-business-specific rule: PCC 18A.37.110(A)(1)(g) sends every home occupation and cottage industry straight to Title 18B…

Selling homemade non-hazardous foods from a Pierce County home requires a Washington Cottage Food Operation permit from the state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) under RCW 69.22 and…

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…

Lakewood, Washington limits residential properties to storing one recreational, utility or sporting vehicle outdoors under LMC 18A.60.160, and it must sit on a paved or gravel parking…

Lakewood, Washington bans storing junk, wrecked, or apparently inoperable vehicles, plus stray vehicle parts and body panels, on any property in the city under LMC 8.26.030. The rule…

It's unlawful in Lakewood, Washington to stop, park, or leave any vehicle, attended or not, on the travel portion of a public roadway, including medians and turn lanes, if doing so…

Lakewood, Washington bars parking any vehicle wider than 80 inches, or any commercial vehicle bigger than a three-quarter-ton pickup, on residential streets, alleys, or public…

Lakewood, Washington does not set a fixed overnight curfew for street parking, but LMC 10.16.015 lets police tag any unauthorized vehicle left on the public right-of-way, day or night…

Every residential garage or carport in Lakewood needs a paved apron in front of it, at least 20 feet deep and as wide as the garage opening, under LMC 18A.60.090(E)(1). The rule…

Lakewood, Washington rewards developers who install electric vehicle charging stations with a parking-count credit under LMC 18A.80.060(G): each charging station lets the required…

Lakewood, Washington requires any building that is erected, enlarged, or converted to a new use to provide at least one off-street loading area, sized 250 to 750 square feet depending…

In unincorporated Pierce County, curb colors and no-parking markings are established by the County, not private residents. Under RCW 46.61.570, parking restrictions are effective only…

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…

Lakewood, Washington exempts small compost piles from its public nuisance rules under LMC 8.18.010(A): a pile stays legal only if it is under four feet tall, no more than six feet…

Lakewood, Washington caps weeds, brush and grass at an average height of 15 inches under LMC 8.52.010, and bans any uncontrolled vegetation that obstructs sightlines on streets and…

Lakewood's landscaping code encourages, but does not itself mandate, native and drought-tolerant plants. LMC 18A.70.180 sets out water-conservation guidelines favoring plants native to…

A significant tree in Lakewood, defined as 9 inches or more in diameter, cannot be removed without a tree removal permit under LMC 18A.70.320(D). Lots under 10,000 square feet in…

Routine pruning of ordinary yard trees is unregulated, but trees retained under an approved county landscape or tree-conservation plan must be pruned to code, and significant and…

Pierce County credits roof rainwater collection systems against the county's stormwater utility service charge under PCC 11.02.050.B.7. A system that captures at least 1,500 gallons…

Washington Department of Ecology administers water rights and may issue drought emergency orders that override local outdoor watering practices statewide.

A Lakewood, Washington short-term rental permit is not free: LMC 18A.40.090(B)(2)(f)(vii) requires the application to include the STR permit fee set by the Lakewood City Council, and…

Lakewood, Washington requires a short-term rental applicant to disclose its off-street parking under LMC 18A.40.090(B)(2)(f)(v), and once permitted, LMC 18A.40.090(B)(2)(i)(vi)…

Lakewood, Washington does not print a flat guest-count cap for short-term rentals; instead LMC 18A.40.090(B)(2)(i)(x) requires 'maximum occupancy shall be regulated consistent with LMC…

Lakewood, Washington requires every short-term rental to have a live point of contact: LMC 18A.40.090(B)(2)(i)(iii) requires the STR permittee or a designee to 'always be available and…

Lakewood, Washington bars paid parties at short-term rentals: LMC 18A.40.090(B)(2)(i)(viii) says STR guests 'are not permitted to host banquets, parties, or other gatherings for direct…

Short-term rentals in Lakewood, WA appear to require that the listed property be a primary residence based on available information. Operators must also obtain a Washington State…

Pierce County Code 18A.37.040 sets no limit on how many nights per year a vacation rental may operate. A rental meeting the five-room, ten-guest, affidavit, parking, and…

Pierce County Code 18A.37.040 does not limit vacation rentals to a host's primary residence. It permits rentals in any legally established single-family or accessory dwelling, so…

Pierce County Code 18A.37.040 sets no local insurance mandate, but Washington's statewide Short-Term Rental Act controls. RCW 64.37.050 requires every operator to carry primary…

Lakewood caps residential fences at six feet in the interior and rear yards and four feet in the front yard under LMC 18A.60.090(B)(12), with two exceptions raising the front limit to…

A Lakewood fence needs a permit in two situations under LMC 18A.60.090(B)(12): any fence over six feet outright requires a variance and a building permit, and any electric fence, even…

Lakewood bans barbed wire, razor wire, embedded glass, and other injury-causing anti-entry materials on fences in residential zoning districts under LMC 18A.60.090(B)(12)(d). Electric…

Lakewood allows a retaining wall or bulkhead within a required yard setback up to four feet tall on the front property line and eight feet on side or rear lines, under LMC…

Pierce County zoning does not set a shared-cost or boundary fence-ownership rule; those are civil matters between neighbors. The county does require that fences at corners and…

Lakewood folds pool construction into the same 'Lakewood Building Code' as its other adopted codes: LMC 15.05.020(J) adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code by…

Any outdoor residential pool in unincorporated Pierce County that holds water over 24 inches deep must be surrounded by a barrier at least 48 inches high, per the 2021 International…

Reserving a park facility or gathering space in a Lakewood, Washington city park requires a special use permit from the Parks and Recreation Department under LMC 8.76.050. The City…

Lakewood, Washington's Park Code names commercial filming as an example of a "special event," so a film shoot in a city park is treated like any other special use and can require a…

A circus, carnival, rodeo, fair or similar transient amusement activity in Lakewood, Washington needs a temporary use permit under LMC 18A.30.710(A). The Planning and Public Works…

Neighborhood block parties, garage sales, parades and holiday celebrations are named temporary uses under LMC 18A.30.710(F). A temporary use permit is normally required from the…

Lakewood, Washington restaurants and cafes may place tables, chairs, umbrellas and other outdoor dining furniture on a public sidewalk under LMC 18A.40.050(B)(4), but only if a minimum…

Anyone planning an event that may disrupt normal traffic on a Lakewood street, sidewalk, alley or public parking lot must get a permit under LMC 12.06.060. Purely peaceful assembly…

Lakewood, Washington bans open flame campfires in all City of Lakewood parks under LMC 8.76.160. Barbecues, camp stoves, smokers and similar cooking devices are allowed in park…

Propane grilling is allowed across the Pierce County park system, no permit needed for the fuel type itself. PCC 14.08.080(C) says outdoor cooking using compressed gas such as propane…

Lakewood, Washington prohibits selling, possessing or drinking alcohol anywhere in a City park, recreation area or associated marine area under LMC 8.76.165. The only exception is an…

Lakewood, Washington's noise code bans yelling, shouting or singing near public streets between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and repetitive music, band sessions or social-gathering noise…

Lakewood, Washington makes it disorderly conduct, a criminal misdemeanor, to urinate or defecate in any place open to public view under LMC 9.08.010(A)(5). The Lakewood Police…

Lakewood, Washington bans loitering that obstructs streets, sidewalks or businesses under LMC Chapter 9.11. Rather than an outright loitering ban, the ordinance works through a police…

Lakewood, Washington makes aggressive begging a misdemeanor citywide. LMC Chapter 9.04 bars intimidating, following or repeated solicitation, plus flat bans on begging near ATMs, bus…

Lakewood, Washington bans smoking, vaping and any tobacco use inside all city parks under LMC 8.76.168. It is a civil infraction carrying up to a $125 fine, enforced by the Parks and…

Pierce County bans cannabis outright in its entire park system, with no permit exception like the one alcohol gets. PCC 14.08.060(M)(3) makes it unlawful to open a package of cannabis…

Lakewood, Washington bars flying rockets or any remotely piloted or powered aircraft, including recreational drones, in any City park area under LMC 8.76.500. Flying is allowed only in…

Unincorporated Pierce County lets the FAA govern where drones may fly, but the Parks and Recreation Department bars recreational drone flights inside its own park system unless the…

Flying a drone in a Pierce County park, including over a permitted festival, parade or show, requires a permit from the Parks Director first. PCC 14.08.040(L) bars unpermitted drone…

Commercial drone operations in Washington are governed by FAA Part 107, with state law adding criminal liability for invasive uses and limited authority over state-owned land.

In Lakewood, Washington, letting a car horn or siren sound frequently, repeatedly or continuously is a public disturbance noise unless it is warning of danger or required by law. A…

Loud, raucous music, sound amplifiers, or crowd noise from a tavern, bar, band session, or social gathering that disturbs neighbors is banned as a "public disturbance noise" under PCC…

Lakewood, Washington bans occupying a campsite on sidewalks, streets, parks or other public property without City Council or emergency authorization. Before police remove a campsite…

Lakewood, Washington restricts billboard illumination under LMC 18A.100.080(D)(6)(c). Billboards may not carry flashing, intermittent or moving lights, and any illumination must be…

Lakewood's outdoor lighting code caps how much light a fixture can throw onto a neighbor's property. Under LMC 18A.60.095(C)(3), every installation must be designed to keep light…

Lakewood requires every outdoor luminaire to be fully shielded so no light escapes into the sky, and bans upward-aimed 'uplighting' in its two lowest-intensity zones. LMC…

Lakewood, Washington singles out the Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) for protection wherever it grows in the city, under LMC 18A.70.330. The threshold is a 4-inch trunk diameter…

Lakewood, Washington, in Pierce County, lets any tree be designated a heritage tree for historical, cultural or environmental significance under LMC 2.48.040(D). Once designated, the…

Lakewood requires street trees at least 3 inches in diameter at planting, placed within the street right-of-way under the City Engineer's direction, per LMC 18A.70.170. Trees within 5…

Lakewood, Washington requires owners of a vacant lot or building near an occupied home to keep the premises free of uncut grass, weeds, blackberry vines, bushes and debris under LMC…

Lakewood, Washington requires every property owner or occupant, including on vacant lots, to keep their land free of junk, litter, overgrown weeds above 15 inches, and dilapidated or…

Lakewood, Washington's public nuisance code targets conditions that harbor rats and other pests: debris piles, gnaw-prone garbage cans, and tall grass or blackberry vines are all…

Pierce County's drug paraphernalia ordinance bans delivering or selling syringes and other injection equipment, but it expressly protects legal distribution of injection syringe…

Lakewood, Washington requires a floodplain development agreement before any construction, fill, or land alteration begins within the Regulatory Floodplain shown on FEMA's Flood…

In Lakewood's Flood Hazard Overlay, new construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure must elevate the lowest floor, including the basement, at least one foot…

Lakewood requires every new development and redevelopment project to install an approved stormwater management system before construction proceeds. Chapter 12.11 LMC adopts the…

Every Lakewood project that clears, grades or otherwise disturbs a site must use erosion and sediment control best management practices to keep sediment from reaching downstream…

Waterfront owners on American Lake, Gravelly Lake, Lake Louise and Lake Steilacoom can build or replace a private dock without a shoreline substantial development permit only while its…

Pierce County lets property owners clear wildfire defensible space within 30 feet of dwellings, outbuildings, barns and commercial buildings even inside a regulated critical area…

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.

Lakewood, Washington allows mobile food vending facilities as a permitted use across its neighborhood commercial, downtown, industrial and mixed-use zones, but LMC 18A.40.050(B)(2)…

In Lakewood, Washington (Pierce County), mobile food vending facilities, including carts and trucks, are a permitted use only in the city's neighborhood commercial, transit-oriented…

Setting up a food cart on a Lakewood, Washington sidewalk or a truck on a public street takes two different permits under LMC 18A.40.050(B)(2). A cart on a public sidewalk needs a…

Lakewood, Washington classifies tattoo and body piercing services as a "restricted" personal service under LMC 18A.10.180, and the city's commercial and industrial land use table at…

Lakewood, Washington's Chief of Police, under LMC 10.28.020, sets the specifications towing companies must follow when they tow and store vehicles impounded by Lakewood police in…

Every pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, or secondhand precious metal dealer operating in Lakewood, Pierce County, must hold a City business license on top of the state licensing and…

Lakewood, Pierce County, requires a City license for every adult cabaret plus separate manager and entertainer licenses, bans operation between 2:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and confines…

Lakewood, Washington allows noncommercial vehicle repair at a home only under LMC 18A.60.180: one vehicle at a time, work limited to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m…

Lakewood, Washington requires a massage business license under LMC 5.35.050 before operating; running one unlicensed is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a…

Lakewood, Washington caps pawnshop licenses at four citywide under LMC 5.12.060, requires owners and employees to pass criminal and firearms background checks, and bars pawn…

Washington RCW 70.345 requires licensing for vapor product retailers, distributors, and delivery sellers, with state Department of Revenue oversight and tax collection.

Lakewood, Washington bans every marijuana business citywide, including dispensaries, collective gardens, cooperatives, and all production, processing, research, and retail activity…

Unincorporated Pierce County keeps marijuana-licensed businesses 1,000 feet away from schools, parks, playgrounds, libraries, transit centers, child-care centers, churches and other…

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

Lakewood, Washington, in Pierce County, designates historic and cultural landmarks under LMC 2.48. A resource over 50 years old with integrity of location, design and association can…

Lakewood's residential dimensional table, LMC 18A.60.030(A), sets front, garage, rear, and interior setbacks by zoning district: as little as 5 feet for MR1/MR2 front yards up to 15…

Lakewood caps building coverage at 45 percent of the lot in the R1 through R3 single-family zones, 50 percent in R4, and up to 60 percent in the multifamily MF zones, under the LMC…

Lakewood caps residential building height at 35 feet in its four single-family districts, R1 through R4, and its first multifamily-residential district, MR1, rising to 50 feet in MR2…

Lakewood, Washington police in Pierce County may run automated traffic cameras at signalized arterial intersections, railroad crossings, and posted school speed zones under LMC…

Pierce County's Park Code treats Class 1 and 2 electric bicycles, as defined by RCW 46.04.169, as 'micromobility devices' under PCC 14.08.030, putting them on the same footing as…

Unincorporated Pierce County enforces Washington's bicycle riding statute as its own traffic code. PCC 10.12.010 adopts RCW 46.61.770 by reference, requiring cyclists to ride near the…

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…

Lakewood, Washington makes it unlawful to place vehicles, goods, merchandise, food products, or similar items on a city street, sidewalk, crosswalk, or public right-of-way for display…

Lakewood requires a right-of-way permit before anyone blocks, occupies, privately improves or otherwise uses City right-of-way, and any object placed there without the City Engineer's…

Lakewood, Pierce County, taxes utility businesses at 6% of gross income under LMC 3.52.050, sorting telegraph, telecom, cellular, gas, electric and cable operators into separate…

A commercial dumpster, recycling area or small storage yard under 200 square feet in Lakewood must sit behind a 5-foot landscaped strip, a 6-foot fence or wall, and a row of 6-foot…

In Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington, every dwelling, apartment house and business that generates garbage or trash must pay for collection service from the City's licensed contractor…

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington does not include bulky items such as furniture, appliances, tires, concrete or tree limbs and stumps over four inches in diameter in regular…

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington sets the ground rules for how residential garbage must be presented for pickup: it has to go out in a can, container or cart under LMC 13.06.070(A)…

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington requires the City's licensed contractor to provide curbside commingled recycling to residential customers under LMC 13.06.110(A). Single-family…

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington provides residential yard waste collection under LMC 13.06.110(B) every other week, year-round, on the same days as regular garbage service…

When a Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington collection day falls on a holiday, LMC 13.06.130 pushes the pickup to the very next day, including Sundays, at no extra cost. The ordinance…

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington requires residents on automated routes to set carts at the curb or alley edge by 6:00 a.m. on collection day and pull them back in the same day…

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington bars anyone other than the City's licensed garbage contractor from collecting recyclables from generators in the City without a transporter permit…

Dumping or allowing materials to remain on Lakewood streets, rights-of-way or adjoining property is a civil infraction under LMC 12.06.040. Violators must remove the material within 48…

Lakewood adopts the 2021 International Building Code as the Lakewood Building Code under LMC 15.05.020, so a permit is required for construction, alteration or repair covered by IBC…

Lakewood adopts the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code as part of the Lakewood Building Code under LMC 15.05.020(E), so plumbing work in the city runs on the UPC as amended by the state…

Lakewood's amended building code lets the Building Official call for a special inspection whenever needed to prove code compliance, ties the final inspection to sign-off from outside…

Lakewood's amended residential code requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every new townhouse, and its amended commercial building code requires sprinklers in any newly built…

Lakewood, Washington adopts the National Electrical Code by reference for all electrical work in the city under LMC 15.25.010, but the city itself does not issue electrical permits…

Pierce County does not mandate a green building code, but PCC 17C.10.070.F refunds up to 25 percent of a residential building permit fee, capped at $350, when the finished home earns…

Lakewood, Washington closes its city parks from dusk to dawn under LMC 8.76.030 and 8.76.400. Entering or staying in a Pierce County, WA city park after closing is a civil infraction…

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

Lakewood's Downtown Development Code sets mandatory building frontage, height, and street-facing design standards for the Central Business District. Under LMC 18B.400.410, developers…

Lakewood, Washington's Housing Incentives Program lets developers add extra market-rate units in exchange for building affordable ones. LMC 18A.90.050 grants one bonus market-rate unit…

Lakewood requires every rental housing unit's owner to hold a business license and provide a certificate of inspection no more than once every five years under LMC 5.60.080. Owners may…

Anyone going door to door in Lakewood, Pierce County, to sell goods or services, take orders, or seek donations must first get a City solicitor or peddler license. Licenses run one…

Lakewood, Pierce County, requires licensed solicitors and peddlers to honor a posted "No Peddlers" or "No Solicitors" sign at any home, gated complex, apartment, or business, and bars…

Lakewood, Pierce County, does not set a fixed number of garage sales per year or a maximum number of sale days. The city's business-license code exempts residential garage or yard…

Every residential rental unit in Lakewood, Pierce County, must carry its own City-issued rental housing license, renewed annually on a calendar-year cycle. Owner-occupied units, hotels…

Lakewood, Pierce County, ties every rental license to a habitability check: owners must show a certificate that the unit has no substantial RCW 59.18.060 defect, such as unsafe…

Rent control is PREEMPTED by Washington State law. RCW 35.21.830 prohibits cities and counties from enacting rent control ordinances. Lakewood may not impose rent control on private…

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…

Washington RCW 59.18.650 requires landlords to have one of 16 enumerated lawful causes to terminate most residential tenancies statewide.

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…

Lakewood, Washington (Pierce County) imposes a 7 percent special excise tax on lodging charges under LMC 3.36.010. The tax hits hotels, motels, rooming houses, tourist courts and…

Lakewood, Washington exempts window signs from its sign permit requirement, but caps how much glass they can cover. LMC 18A.100.030(A)(2) limits any sign located inside a building…

Lakewood, Washington bans new billboards outright, and the ones grandfathered in from before the city's 1996 incorporation cannot add digital or flashing displays. LMC 18A.100.040(I)…

Commercial and industrial properties in Lakewood, Washington that front a freeway get an extra pole sign beyond what nonfreeway businesses receive. LMC 18A.100.060's permanent sign…

Lakewood, Washington treats a campaign sign the same as any other temporary sign: LMC 18A.100.010(I) commits the city to regulating signage 'in a content-neutral manner,' so LMC…

Garage sale signs are temporary signs under PCC 18B.10.040 in unincorporated Pierce County. They need no permit, but only one non-yard temporary sign is allowed per road frontage and…

Lakewood's zoning code lets residents grow crops, run plant nurseries, and keep bees in most zoning districts, but LMC 18A.40.030(B)(3) bans cows, sheep, goats, swine, llamas, and…

Pierce County Code Chapter 18I.35 presumes lawful farm operations are reasonable and shields them from nuisance claims, so long as the farming predates surrounding non-farm development…

Along American Lake, Gravelly Lake, Lake Steilacoom and Lakewood's other shoreline waterbodies, the Shoreline Master Program lets property owners remove state-listed noxious weeds…

Unincorporated Pierce County outright prohibits the operation of social card games, the category that covers commercial card rooms under state law. Only bona fide charitable or…

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…

Pierce County investigates code complaints under PCC 18.140.035. You must identify yourself when filing; anonymous tips are not the trigger for a case. Staff review every submission…

In unincorporated Pierce County, a home security camera counts as an "alarm system" under PCC 8.64.010.J once it's set up to summon a Sheriff's Department response, and PCC 8.64.030.A…

If a leak in your water service pipe inflated your Pierce County sewer bill, PCC 13.13.055(H) lets you request a credit. Submit a written request to the Sewer Utility with the repair…

Pierce County's Water Utility, created by PCC 7.10.010, exists in part "to establish reclaimed water services to protect the environment," with "Reclaimed Water" defined by…

Installing rooftop solar panels on a home in unincorporated Pierce County requires a building permit under PCC 17C.10.070, and the fee scales with system size: a base fee plus an added…

Washington RCW 64.38.055 voids homeowner association rules prohibiting solar panel installation, allowing only reasonable placement rules. RCW 64.90.510 gives the same protection to…

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 has two regimes. Communities created on or after July 1, 2018 fall under WUCIOA (RCW 64.90), whose lien carries a 6-month super-priority over first mortgages and can be…

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…

Washington HOAs may adopt and enforce rules and architectural standards and enforce the recorded declaration. Under WUCIOA, RCW 64.90.405 authorizes rule adoption and enforcement…

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…

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…