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Kitsap County, WA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
KCC § 10.12.160, Liquor - Drugs
Scope
Any narcotic, hallucinogen or intoxicating substance
Exceptions
None for marijuana or any drug
Max penalty
$1,000 fine and/or 90 days jail
Applies to
County parks in unincorporated Kitsap County

Summary

Kitsap County outlaws bringing, possessing or consuming marijuana and every other drug in a county park, with no reserved-area exception. KCC § 10.12.160 bars any narcotic, hallucinogen or other mind-altering substance from parks entirely, unlike its narrower alcohol rule.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Kitsap County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

It is unlawful to bring into or possess or consume in any park any narcotic, hallucinogen, or any other drug or substance that may cause irrational or unnatural behavior if consumed, injected into, breathed or otherwise administered to a human being or animal.

View official code

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

160, "Liquor - Drugs," opens by making it unlawful to bring into or possess or consume in any park any narcotic, hallucinogen, or any other drug or substance that may cause irrational or unnatural behavior if consumed, injected into, breathed or otherwise administered to a human being or animal. That language is deliberately broad and substance-neutral: it is not limited to a listed schedule of controlled substances, so it reaches marijuana and cannabis products along with any other intoxicant capable of producing irrational or unnatural behavior, whether smoked, vaped, eaten or otherwise ingested.

Unlike the alcohol clause in the same section, which the county carves an exception into for contractually reserved community-center areas, the drug clause has no reserved-area exception anywhere in the chapter; the prohibition on drug possession and use in parks is total. The rule traces to the original 1971 parks ordinance (Ordinance 6) and was carried forward unchanged by the 1993 amendment that added the alcohol reservation system, meaning the legislature revisited this section and chose not to soften the drug ban even as it relaxed the alcohol rule.

Because this authority sits in the county's parks chapter, it governs conduct in county-operated parks within unincorporated Kitsap County only, not in parks run by Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo or Bainbridge Island, or on the Suquamish or Port Gamble S'Klallam reservations.

Violations & Fines

Section 10.12.160 states that violation of or failure to comply with its provisions is governed under § 10.12.190, which classifies any violation of the chapter as a misdemeanor punishable under the county's general penalty statute, § 1.12.010: a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, with each day a separate offense. A park attendant or the park director may also eject a violator from the park immediately under § 10.12.170.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is marijuana allowed in Kitsap County parks even though it's legal in Washington?
No. KCC § 10.12.160 bars bringing into, possessing or consuming any narcotic, hallucinogen or other drug or substance capable of causing irrational or unnatural behavior in any county park, a substance-neutral ban that covers marijuana with no exception.
Is there a designated smoking area for marijuana in county parks like there is for alcohol?
No. Section 10.12.160 gives alcohol a narrow exception for contractually reserved community-center areas, but the drug clause in the same section carries no equivalent carve-out; drug possession and use is prohibited throughout every county park.
What happens if someone is caught using marijuana in a Kitsap County park?
It is a misdemeanor under § 10.12.190, punishable under the general penalty statute § 1.12.010 by up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and the park director or an attendant can eject the person under § 10.12.170.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Kitsap County

All Kitsap County rules

Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington public conduct overview

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