Olympia, WA

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the Director of Public Works sets the location of passenger and freight curb-loading zones, taxi zones included, and every zone carries a 15 to 30…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, posted on-street parking time limits apply from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and do not apply on Saturdays, Sundays or the public holidays listed in RCW…

OMC § 10.16.220 bans stopping, standing or parking in the City of Olympia, Washington on a sidewalk or planting strip, in front of a driveway or within five feet of its curb radius…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a junk vehicle stored on private property for more than thirty days is a declared public nuisance subject to removal and disposal. On a City street…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 10.18.020 makes it unlawful to park or leave standing on a street in or abutting a residential area a truck with a gross weight capacity over…

The City of Olympia, Washington runs a Residential Parking Program for eight residential parking zones near the Capitol, downtown and the marina. Residents who qualify can register up…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, operable boats, trailers and recreational vehicles can be stored on a residential premises only if they do not obstruct the public right-of-way or…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, new buildings, surface parking lots and parking garages, and those improved by 50 percent or more of assessed value, must provide EV charging…

Any Thurston County driveway or parking area serving more than four vehicles must be hard-surfaced: asphalt, concrete, permeable pavement, or similar, built durable and dust-free and…

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…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, each in-ground swimming pool or spa carries a $145.99 plumbing permit fee, and each above ground pool over 5000 gallons carries $72.99. The fees sit…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the building permit fee schedule in Olympia Municipal Code § 4.36.010 states that all pools over 24 inches in depth require approved fencing. The…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, consumer fireworks cannot be sold or discharged at all. Selling them is a misdemeanor, and discharging them is a civil infraction. Display fireworks…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.080 makes it unlawful to burn garbage or refuse. Wastepaper, boxes, rubbish and debris, brush, grass, weeds and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas, meaning single or multiple containers greater than 500 gallons water capacity, is prohibited in every use…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 16.04.410(B) requires an approved smoke detector in every mobile/manufactured home not constructed to HUD standards. The detector must conform…

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…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a pet animal that habitually or continually disturbs the peace and quiet of any individual or neighborhood by barking, whining, howling, or making…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 8.32.080 requires every motor vehicle on public highways to carry a muffler in good working order and in constant operation. It also bans tire…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 9.16.020(D) makes it disorderly conduct when motor vehicle audio or portable audio equipment is audible greater than fifty feet away. The…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 9.16.020(D)(3) names the hours between eleven p.m. and seven a.m. when yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on or near public…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 18.40.080(C)(7) exempts the temporary vibration produced by construction activity from the earth-vibration ban, but restricts that temporary…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 18.40.080(B) ties noise limits to Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement classes and Table N. A residential source heard in a residential…

Thurston County exempts yard maintenance equipment, including leaf blowers, from its noise limits only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.; outside that window the county's dBA limits apply.

Aircraft noise in Washington is preempted by federal aviation law, and the state expressly excludes aircraft in flight from its noise control regulations under WAC 173-60-050.

In the City of Olympia, Washington, tattooing or microchip implantation are acceptable auxiliary means of identification for a dog or cat but do not replace the license, under OMC…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, dogs are classified by conduct, not breed. Under OMC 6.04.110 the Animal Services Director can declare a dog potentially dangerous or dangerous…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a cat considered a pet animal must be licensed, and failing to license it is a Class 3 civil infraction under OMC 6.04.040(A). Community cats, free…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a person who adopts a pet animal from the Animal Services Shelter must have the pet sterilized within the time period in the written adoption…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a dog found off the premises or outside the owner's vehicle and not under control by leash, carrier, or demonstrated voice command is at large under…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, owners of constrictor type reptiles over eight feet in length, venomous reptiles, and primates must follow all state and federal laws and register…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a veterinary clinic is a defined land use that is only boarding-limited, and in the Downtown Business, Medical Services, High Density Corridor-1 and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 12.60.040 makes it unlawful to feed any fowl, fish or animal within any park, and to tease, annoy, disturb, harass, catch…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, no pet store can display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away or otherwise transfer dogs or cats. OMC 6.01.020 makes retail…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, beekeeping is allowed outright as an agricultural use when the keeper is registered with the State Department of Agriculture. Lots under ten…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a lot of one-quarter acre or smaller can keep up to five ducks or female chickens, with larger lots allowed more by a printed lot-size scale…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, residential districts allow no more than six pet animals per dwelling unit. Animals under four months old and small pets kept in enclosures inside…

Thurston County classifies pet grooming as a 'personal service' under its Olympia Urban Growth Area zoning code, the same use category as barbershops and beauty shops. TCC 23.06.040's…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the Short-Term Rental Permit carries a $116.42 fee in the land use fee schedule of Olympia Municipal Code § 4.40.010, which applies from January 1…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, every short-term rental is limited to two adults per bedroom, with children under 12 allowed in a bedroom that holds no more than two adults. Total…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, every short-term rental operator needs the required City and State business licenses, and a vacation rental also needs a land use permit from the…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a short-term rental homestay requires the property owner or a long-term rental tenant to live in the residence as their primary residence, including…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a short-term rental adds 1 off-street parking space when more than 2 bedrooms are rented in 1 dwelling unit, and 1 more space when a parcel holds 2…

Washington requires short-term rental operators to maintain at least $1 million in primary liability insurance, or to operate through a platform providing equivalent coverage, under…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, impact fees on an accessory dwelling unit cannot exceed 50 percent of those assessed for the single-family residence or principal unit on the same…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, every residential district allows up to two accessory dwelling units per lot alongside any principal unit. Each ADU is capped at 1,000 square feet…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, tiny houses are tied to the International Residential Code: OMC 16.04.020(A)(2) adopts Appendix Q, Tiny Houses, along with the radon, solar-ready…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, detached accessory structures are allowed in all residential districts but cannot be built before the main building, must stay incidental to the…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a detached garage can be converted into an accessory dwelling unit even if it violates current setback or lot coverage rules, provided it was…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, no tree of at least one inch d.b.h. comes down without an approved tree protection and replacement plan and a tree removal permit under OMC Chapter…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, trees in streets and parking strips are public property under Olympia Municipal Code § 12.44.060. Section 12.44.070 allows trimming, pruning or…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, premises and exterior property must be kept free from weeds or plant growth in excess of 12 inches, and noxious weeds are prohibited. Section 302.4…

On county-run water systems, sprinkler and irrigation use is banned during active firefighting and outdoor watering can be curtailed anytime the department decides it's needed.

Thurston County doesn't mandate rainwater harvesting, but it rewards it. TCC § 15.06.020 defines rainwater harvesting as collecting roof runoff for uses like landscape irrigation or…

Washington requires jurisdictions over 25,000 to provide organics collection and bans certain organic waste disposal under RCW 70A.205.545.

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a family child care home is allowed in every district that permits residences. The provider files a Child Care Registration Form with the Department…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a residence with a valid City business license for a home occupation is allowed one permanent sign: a wall sign on the facade of the primary…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, home occupations are allowed in any district where residential uses are permitted, but the operator must certify compliance before occupancy and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, customer and client visits to a home occupation must fall between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The business must give minimal outward appearance of a…

Washington runs a cottage food permit through the state Department of Agriculture, not through the local health district. Under RCW 69.22.030 the permit is issued for two years 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…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, property owners are responsible for keeping fences within property lines and for getting a building permit when required. A bracketed note in OMC…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a fence inside a required yard tops out at 48 inches in the front yard and 72 inches in side, flanking side and rear yards, with a 30 inch cap in…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a barbed or razor wire fence is barred within 10 feet of a street, alley or other public place, except for government-owned or privately owned…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, no single retaining wall within a required yard can exceed 30 inches, measured from the lowest adjacent grade, and walls within five horizontal feet…

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.

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the chief of police can close a street to vehicle travel or restrict parking for a public event, but only on a request from the event's sponsor and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a festival event on city property or city right-of-way needs a Festival Event permit, applied for at least ninety days ahead. Street use costs $50…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, parks and recreational facilities are open to any group on a first come, first serve basis. A group or assembly calculated to attract a large number…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a parade or other festival event on city property or city right-of-way needs a Festival Event permit, and the application must be submitted at least…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a business needs a permit from the Director of Community Planning and Development before putting chairs, tables or planters on a public street…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Chapter 3.40 of the Olympia Municipal Code levies a special excise tax of four percent on the sale of or charge for lodging that is subject to state…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, an adult oriented business needs a business license under OMC 5.02 plus the added licensing in Chapter 5.16, and its managers and entertainers need…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the owner, director, manager or other person in charge of a massage or reflexology business must make sure everyone practicing there holds a valid…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a pawnbroker is any person engaged in the business of receiving property in pledge for loans, and Chapter 5.60 of the Olympia Municipal Code…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, anyone who buys, sells, trades, barters or exchanges secondhand goods as a business needs an OMC 5.02 business license and must follow Chapter 5.60…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a towing operator needs an OMC 5.02 business license, and a tow company running a tow truck inside city limits also needs the current registration…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, vehicle sales or repair is not permitted as a home occupation. The same list bars contractors' yards, restaurants, exterminating services and…

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

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 13.04.080 bars any person from allowing leaking valves, pipes, closets, faucets or other fixtures on the City water system. The Public Works…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, reclaimed water is part of the Drinking Water Utility and use is tied to an End User Service Agreement. OMC 13.24.280 bans use beyond that…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 18.04.060(KK) allows agricultural uses as a primary or accessory use in every zoning district except Auto Services and…

Thurston County shields established farms and forestry operations from nuisance lawsuits under Chapter 20.61 of the county code. Section 20.61.020 presumes that agricultural activities…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, sitting or lying on any sidewalk, street or alley within the Downtown Commercial Zone between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. is prohibited under OMC…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, it is unlawful at all times to camp or construct camp facilities on City property, City parklets or City right-of-way. A person is cited only after…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, no one can ride a skateboard on any street, sidewalk or public parking lot in a defined downtown area bounded by Water Street, Legion Way…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, it is unlawful to urinate or defecate in a public place unless the person is using a washroom, toilet room or other facility specifically designated…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a person is guilty of pedestrian interference if, in a public place, the person knowingly obstructs pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Obstructing…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, it is unlawful to open a container of intoxicating liquor, possess an opened one, or drink intoxicating liquor in a public conveyance or public…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, it is unlawful to smoke or light cigarettes, cigars, tobacco or other smoking material within city parks or on city trails. The ban expressly…

Thurston County declares any party of four or more people where minors drink or use marijuana a public nuisance, with fines for whoever hosts or controls the property.

Thurston County prohibits smoking, vaping, or using marijuana products in any county park, park preserve, or trail under Chapter 10.76 of the Park Code, backed by a misdemeanor penalty.

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.070 gives the City's solid waste section the exclusive right to collect garbage and refuse, but carves out compost…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 18.36.060(I) requires dumpsters, carts, drop boxes and compactors on industrial, commercial, multi-family and mixed-use…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.100 requires the solid waste section to collect all garbage and refuse in the residential districts at least once a…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.110(B) requires each garbage can to be located accessible to the collector within five feet of the stopping point of…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.110 requires every occupant to keep suitable cans for garbage. A can must be watertight, no more than thirty-two…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.135 says recycle containers are issued to customers upon request. The container is the property of the city and is…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.130 does not order residents to recycle. It gives a reduced garbage rate to customers who recycle at least two…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 12.24.040 bars anyone from throwing, depositing or sweeping glass, metal, broken ware, yard debris, dirt, rubbish, garbage…

Unincorporated Thurston County has no curbside bulky-item pickup: residents self-haul large items and bulky waste to the county's WARC transfer station or drop boxes, where the…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, anyone who goes door to door or place to place on private property to sell goods or services, take orders, or seek contributions must first hold an…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 5.04.060 taxes business activity by classification: 0.2 percent for extractors, manufacturers, wholesalers and other…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, poker, draw poker, keno and any other game of chance played with cards or dice for money is unlawful unless authorized under RCW Chapter 9.46…

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…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a residential premises is limited to two garage sales per calendar year, each no longer than four consecutive days, and every sale has to run…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC Chapter 8.16 requires business buildings to be rat proofed and kept rat free under the health officer's supervision. Under § 8.16.040, an…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 8.08.010 puts the inspection, grading, regrading and placarding of eating and drinking establishments under the 1943 U.S. Public Health…

Under OMC § 8.08.030, it is compulsory for all food handlers in the City of Olympia, Washington, to attend the instruction courses for food handlers that the health officer provides…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of any horn or siren attached to a motor vehicle is a public noise disturbance under the disorderly…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a nightclub, tavern or lounge in the Commercial Services - High Density (CS-H) district is a conditional use with three built-in conditions: no…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 8.32.070 caps motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds GVWR or GCWR at 86 dBA at 35 MPH or less and 90 dBA above 35 MPH, measured fifty feet from the…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, car stereo and portable audio sound that is audible greater than fifty feet from the source is a public noise disturbance under OMC 9.16.020(D)(5)…

Thurston County caps gas and diesel generator noise at 55 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 45 dBA overnight, measured at the nearest property line or public right-of-way, under County…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, only stormwater, clean groundwater and clean city potable water with chlorine below 0.1 ppm can go into the municipal storm drain system (MS4)…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, in Thurston County, a development permit is required before construction or development begins in any area of special flood hazard, and the rule…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, in Thurston County, new construction and substantial improvement in an AE or A1-30 flood zone must put the lowest floor, including the basement, one…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a residential dock, pier or float must be shared unless the applicant shows why sharing is not feasible. Under Olympia Municipal Code § 18.20.844…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.16.017 adopts the Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual by reference, and § 13.16.018 makes the Manual prevail over…

Thurston County caps warm-up idling at 10 minutes for most vehicles and 20 minutes for commercial diesel vehicles under its noise code.

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.

In the City of Olympia, Washington, mobile vendors are a temporary use permitted in commercial districts and the Evergreen Park PUD, with a one-year temporary use permit. On a…

In the City of Olympia, Washington (Thurston County), a mobile vendor needs a temporary use permit approved by the City under Olympia Municipal Code § 18.06.060(Z) before it operates…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a mobile vendor on a public sidewalk must follow eight rules in OMC § 18.06.060(Z)(3)(c)(iii): one vendor per block face, a sidewalk at least eight…

The City of Olympia, Washington keeps a register of landmark trees under OMC Chapter 16.56. Anyone can nominate a tree, the Public Works Director decides, and the owner's disapproval…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, wherever a paved street has a parking strip, trees must be planted under Olympia Municipal Code Chapter 12.44 and the Engineering Design and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, anyone who makes available for rent or rents a non-exempt rental unit must register it with the City before offering it, and renew by December 31st…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 5.82.110 bars a landlord from raising rent by any amount while a rental unit has defective conditions making it uninhabitable, while a tenant's…

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…

Washington bars cities from passing local rent control under RCW 35.21.830, and that preemption still stands. But in 2025 the state enacted its first statewide rent-increase cap. Under…

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…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 12.24.090 bars any obstruction of a public street, sidewalk or alley outside the permit rules of Chapter 12.24, with a four…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, nobody can pile or store materials on a crosswalk, sidewalk, street, alley or other city property without a temporary obstruction permit from the…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the owner of property immediately abutting a sidewalk must clean, repair or renew it when the public works director serves notice that it is unfit…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Chapter 12.75 bars use of City owned or controlled property to assemble, mobilize, process persons or stage personnel for civil immigration…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC § 10.16.220(A)(22) bars stopping, standing or parking within a designated bike lane. A violation is a $95.00 restricted parking infraction, with…

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…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, each rental property must be inspected at least once every five years by a qualified rental housing inspector, and a certificate of inspection must…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, every landlord must hand tenants a City tenant rights document naming City staff a tenant can contact if rights under the Rental Housing Code are…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 18.04.080(A)(4) lets the Director or Hearing Examiner raise Table 4.04 residential densities: up to 20 percent for critical area restoration, 50…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the Downtown design guidelines in Chapter 18.120 apply to every property inside the Downtown map area, and development there goes through design…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 16.32.140 requires an NFPA 13D automatic sprinkler system in new single family residential units of any size, plus new…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, an owner, authorized agent or contractor must first obtain a permit under Olympia Municipal Code § 16.24.080 before constructing, enlarging…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 16.44.060(B)(25) requires apartment buildings and townhomes to have a single station smoke/carbon monoxide alarm in every…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, plumbing work follows the current State adopted edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code, which OMC 16.04.020(A)(4) adopts for Thurston County's capital…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, building work needs a permit under the adopted International Building and Residential Codes unless an exemption applies. OMC 16.04.040(A)(1) amends…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, the final building inspection happens only after the conditions of SEPA, Hearings Examiner, Design Review, Development Engineering, Stormwater and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a child day care center in a residence must be separate from the family's living quarters, hold state licensing, and file a free Child Care…

The City of Olympia, Washington allows state-licensed marijuana retailers only in the HCD3, HDC4, MS or GC zones, and only with a Hearing Examiner conditional use permit. Producers and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a state-licensed marijuana retailer cannot locate within 500 feet of a recreation center, child care center, public park, public transit center…

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

In the City of Olympia, Washington, noxious weeds are prohibited on any premises. Under Olympia Municipal Code § 16.18.020, every owner, lessee, occupant or agent must control…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, residential building height starts with the district limit in Table 4.04 of OMC 18.04.080, and subsection (I) then sets the exceptions: an 18 foot…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, residential impervious surface limits sit in Table 4.04 of OMC 18.04.080, and subsection (K) governs the bonuses: up to a 20 percent impervious…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Table 4.04 sets minimum front, rear, and side yard setbacks for each residential district column, from 20 feet in front for R1/5 to 5 feet in the…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, parking area lights in the Downtown Design Sub-Districts must be fully shielded, Dark Sky Approved, and mounted no higher than 20 feet, or 15 feet…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 18.40.060(D) requires all display and flood lighting to be constructed and used so as not to unduly illuminate the surrounding properties and…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a building, structure, object, site or district qualifies for the City Heritage Register under OMC § 18.12.080 if it is at least fifty years old or…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 16.10.020 declares buildings and structures that are dangerous to lives or property, or unsafe for their use, to be public nuisances. The…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 16.06.030 requires the owner or lender of vacant and uninhabited or vacant and in default property, improved or unimproved, to register it with…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, political signs fall under the noncommercial speech sign standards of OMC 18.43.085, and the content is not regulated. Homes in the Residential Sign…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, a garage, yard, moving or patio sale can use one sign on the premises and three off-premises signs, each no larger than four square feet. No sign…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, billboard signs sit on the prohibited list in Olympia Municipal Code 18.43.050, and the same list bans animated signs. Electronic message signs…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, window signs are permitted in the Downtown, Auto Mall, and Business and Corridor Sign Zones, with noncommercial window signs only in the Residential…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, pole signs are permitted only in the Freeway Corridor design review district and the Auto Mall Sign Zone. Next to I-5 or US Highway 101, a pole sign…

Thurston County places no time limit on holiday lighting or seasonal decorations in the unincorporated Olympia Urban Growth Area. Section 23.42.020 of the Olympia UGA Zoning Ordinance…

Thurston County does not require a building permit for a residential rooftop photovoltaic solar installation that complies with International Residential Code section M2301.2, per Code…

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…

Thurston County bars minors under 18 from public places between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or on a direct errand.

Thurston County parks close nightly under Thurston County Code § 10.76.200: by default they're open only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., though the county's public works director can post…

Thurston County caps industrial noise, including data center cooling and generator equipment, at the property line under the state's WAC 173-60 environmental noise standards.

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.

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…