Kitsap County, WA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Penalty
- $250 per day per violation
- Enforcing agency
- DCD or Public Works director
- Jurisdiction
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
- Hearing timing
- 20 to 60 days after notice
- Correction deadline
- 30 days after affirmed order
- Repeat violations
- Penalty may be doubled
Summary
In unincorporated Kitsap County, a vacant or unimproved lot piled with trash, junk, litter, discarded lumber, old appliances, scrap metal or yard waste is a public nuisance under County Code Chapter 9.56. The Department of Community Development or Public Works director can order cleanup, and an owner who ignores a notice of abatement faces a $250-per-day penalty plus a county lien.
Premises containing visible accumulations of trash, junk, litter, boxes, discarded lumber, ashes, bottles, boxes, building materials which are not properly stored or neatly piled, cans, concrete, crates, empty barrels, dead animals or animal waste, glass, tires, mattresses or bedding, white goods, numerous pieces of broken or discarded furniture and furnishings, old appliances or equipment or any parts thereof, iron or other scrap metal, packing cases or material, plaster, plastic, rags, wire, yard waste or debris, salvage materials or other similar materials, except that kept in garbage cans or containers maintained for regular collection. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the temporary retention of waste in approved, covered receptacles;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
020(10)(b)(i) defines a nuisance to include premises with visible accumulations of trash, junk, litter, discarded lumber, building materials not properly stored, old appliances, scrap metal, yard waste or similar debris, unless the material is kept in garbage cans or covered receptacles for regular collection. This reaches any premises, occupied or vacant, in unincorporated Kitsap County only; Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island enforce their own municipal codes. 040. 050. 060(6)(a). 050(5)(c).
Violations & Fines
The monetary penalty is $250.00 per day or portion of a day the violation continues, assessed by the violations hearing examiner under § 9.56.040(5). Unpaid penalties and abatement costs become a lien against the property. Anyone who knowingly hinders or obstructs a county employee abating the nuisance commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine under § 9.56.060(5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Bremerton or Port Orchard?
What counts as a nuisance on a vacant lot?
What happens if I ignore the county's cleanup notice?
Can I get more time to clean up my lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington property maintenance overview
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