King County, WA Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage
- Unincorporated King County roads only
- Priority
- Arterials & school bus routes cleared first
- Publication deadline
- Before second Monday in November
- Coordination
- With neighboring cities and state
Summary
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 neighborhood streets, under King County Code § 14.48.010.
The director of the road services division may identify and designate as snow emergency routes certain arterials and school bus routes in the county. The snow emergency routes shall be the first roads to be either sanded or cleared of snow, when weather safely allows.
Full Breakdown
The road services division may designate certain arterials and school bus routes as snow emergency routes; those get sanded or cleared first when weather allows (K.C.C. 14.48.010). The division must publish the full route list on its website before the second Monday in November each year, so schools and emergency responders can plan ahead (K.C.C. 14.48.020), and must coordinate plowing with neighboring cities, the state, and other agencies for continuity across jurisdiction lines (K.C.C. 14.48.040). This chapter applies only to unincorporated King County roads. Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and dozens of other cities run their own snow-route systems under separate municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
This chapter sets county plowing priority, not driver penalties: it carries no fine or citation provision. Blocking or damaging designated snow routes can still trigger separate road-obstruction enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Seattle?
How do I find the snow emergency route list?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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