Richland, WA

Richland does not impose a blanket citywide overnight parking ban. Under RMC § 11.30.030, hour and duration restrictions on specific streets take effect only where the city posts signs…

Richland's traffic engineer designates hazard zones on city streets and has them marked with yellow paint under RMC § 11.30.020. Once a curb is painted or otherwise coated yellow…

Richland bans storing boats, campers, motor homes, RVs, snowmobiles, and utility trailers in any residential district or on public streets, roads or sidewalks under RMC § 11.33.020…

Richland designates specific loading zones on Jadwin Avenue, Stevens Drive and at the Uptown Shopping Center under Richland Municipal Code § 11.40.040, each posted with a maximum stay…

In the City of Richland, Washington, posted 'no parking' streets and yellow-painted hazard-zone curbs are off-limits to parked vehicles under Richland Municipal Code §§ 11.30.010 and…

In the City of Richland, Washington, an inoperable or junk vehicle kept outside an enclosed building is a declared public nuisance under Richland Municipal Code § 10.06.040. One…

In the City of Richland, Washington, any off-street parking facility serving four or more vehicles, including driveways, aisles, and loading areas, must be surfaced with Portland…

Benton County classifies an electric vehicle charging station as a permitted, stand-alone land use, allowed outright alongside automobile fueling stations in the General Commercial…

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…

The City of Richland, Washington treats a loud unamplified human voice as a public disturbance noise under Richland Municipal Code § 9.16.045(C)(2) when it comes from a building…

The City of Richland, Washington treats amplified music and sound-amplifier noise as a public disturbance under Richland Municipal Code § 9.16.045(C)(1) once it emanates from a…

In the City of Richland, Washington, construction noise audible more than 50 feet from a residential district is a public disturbance noise violation between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m…

In the City of Richland, Washington, sounds from aircraft in flight and airport flight operations are exempt from the noise ordinance at all times under Richland Municipal Code §…

In the City of Richland, Washington, using engine brakes, exhaust brakes, or jake brakes anywhere within city limits is outright prohibited under Richland Municipal Code § 11.06.010, a…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 7.03.340 makes it unlawful to let an animal cause prolonged or habitual howling, yelping or barking that unreasonably disturbs others' peace…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 9.16.045 limits noise by time and district rather than by a decibel meter: amplified sound, voices and power tools cannot be audible more…

The City of Richland, Washington makes it a misdemeanor under Richland Municipal Code § 9.12.090 to willfully torment or harass any game bird, game animal, or species protected under…

In the City of Richland, Washington, city code caps every dwelling unit at five household pets total, counting any mix of dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens (except roosters), ducks, geese…

In the City of Richland, Washington, livestock cannot be kept in residential zones at all except under Chapter 23.14's agricultural district standards, while up to five chickens…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 7.03.050 makes it unlawful for a dog to roam off its owner's property unless a competent person keeps it under control, on a leash or chain…

In the City of Richland, Washington, cat licensing was repealed by Ordinance 24-19, so there's no tag requirement today. What remains: RMC § 7.03.040 makes any stray cat at large a…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 7.03.355 adopts state law banning possession of potentially dangerous wild animals, including bobcats and any hybrid or cross-mix of them, as…

In the City of Richland, Washington there is no breed-specific ban; instead RMC § 7.03.320 lets the poundmaster declare any animal, of any breed, potentially dangerous or dangerous…

Beekeeping is welcome across rural Benton County, and its irrigated farmland and wine-country bloom support strong colonies. Anyone keeping hives must register yearly with the state…

In unincorporated Benton County's Rural Lands Five Acre District (RL-5), a veterinary facility is not a by-right use: BCC 11.11.060(v) requires a conditional use permit issued by the…

Benton County lists pet grooming as its own permitted land use, allowed by right in the General Commercial (GC) and Community Commercial (CC) zoning districts across unincorporated…

Washington bans intentionally feeding or attracting large wild carnivores, bears, cougars and wolves, to any land or building, and treats a first intentional violation as a misdemeanor…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 18.16.020 makes it unlawful to use more water for irrigation than reasonably necessary and requires customers to fix leaking pipes and keep…

In the City of Richland, Washington, grass and weeds on a property that grow past six inches, or die and are left standing, are a declared public nuisance under Richland Municipal Code…

Removing, pruning, cutting or otherwise disturbing any tree on Richland's public rights-of-way requires a permit from the municipal arborist under RMC § 22.14.090. No fee is charged…

Richland requires the owner of property next to a public right-of-way tree to keep its branches pruned for sufficient vertical clearance over the adjoining sidewalk and street, under…

Benton County's high desert makes native and drought-tolerant landscaping a natural fit, and no local rule forces a grass lawn on an existing lot. You may plant shrub-steppe natives…

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

Washington law expressly permits rooftop rainwater collection for onsite use without a water right permit, preempting any municipal prohibition on basic harvesting.

In the City of Richland, Washington, burning wastepaper, boxes, rubbish and debris at a residence is flatly prohibited. RMC § 15.05.030(B) allows only brush, grass, leaves, weeds and…

Richland issues $100 permits for retail fireworks sales and public displays, requires signed property-owner authorization, and bars sales or use by anyone under 16 without direct adult…

Richland restricts how much liquefied petroleum gas any property can store, tying the limit to the storage thresholds in Chapter 61 of the International Fire Code under RMC §…

Table 20.05.020 under RMC § 20.05.020 requires a single-station smoke alarm in every R3 occupancy, meaning single-family homes, duplexes, and small child care operations, citing the…

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…

Richland allows a home occupation only as an accessory use clearly incidental to living in the dwelling, capped at two non-resident employees and 20 percent of the home's floor area…

Richland caps home occupation client traffic at four customer or client visits per day, only one at a time, and limits those visits plus non-resident employees to the hours of 7:00…

In the City of Richland, Washington, a family day care home must meet Washington State DSHS rules, give the city written proof of at least initial contact with DSHS, register with…

Washington lets you sell certain homemade shelf-stable foods from a Benton County kitchen under a WSDA Cottage Food Operation Permit. Unlike many states, Washington requires a…

A Benton County home occupation permit under BCC 11.49.030(d) allows only one non-illuminating sign of up to four square feet, standing no taller than six feet above grade, and it must…

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 Richland, Washington, anyone building a retaining wall inside a street right-of-way must get a permit from the public works director before work starts, under Richland…

In the City of Richland, Washington, open fences such as chain link, wrought iron or picket can reach six feet anywhere on the lot but drop to four feet within the street right-of-way…

In the City of Richland, Washington, fences up to six feet high can be built inside the property line along arterial streets when a subdivision plat already allows it or the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, barbed wire and electrically charged fences are prohibited citywide except in two narrow cases: agricultural zones confining livestock, and general…

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 Richland, Washington, a detached tool or storage shed no larger than 200 square feet (IRC) or 120 square feet (IBC) skips the full building permit under RMC §…

In the City of Richland, Washington, before a building permit for an accessory apartment is issued, the owner must record a deed restriction with the Benton County auditor covenanting…

In the City of Richland, Washington, a single-family lot can add one accessory apartment under RMC Section 23.42.020, capped at 40 percent of the primary dwelling's floor area and set…

Washington allows tiny houses on permanent foundations under IRC Appendix Q (adopted in the state building code) for dwellings 400 square feet or less. RCW 35.21.686 governs tiny…

Richland requires swimming pools to meet the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, adopted through the International Residential and Building Codes under RMC § 21.01.010(E), which…

An above-ground pool holding water over 24 inches deep needs a Benton County building permit and must meet the 2021 ISPSC barrier rules, though a pool wall at least 48 inches high can…

Short-term-rental guests in unincorporated Benton County follow the same rules as everyone: WAC 173-60 property-line limits and the BCC 6A.15 nuisance standard, with a 45 dBA ceiling…

Short-term stays in Benton County owe Washington retail sales tax and B&O tax on the rental, plus a 2% Tri-Cities-area special lodging tax. Airbnb and Vrbo collect many of these…

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…

When no citywide towing contract is in place, Richland's chief of police keeps a rotating list of licensed towing businesses qualified for police-ordered impounds and emergency tows…

Richland requires every public massage parlor and public bathhouse, along with each massage therapist, manager and attendant, to hold a separate city license under Municipal Code…

Richland requires every adult use establishment, including adult retail stores, panoram and motion picture theaters, and live entertainment venues, to hold a business license under…

In the City of Richland, Washington, vehicle repair and maintenance, motor rebuilding, and painting of vehicles, trailers or boats are expressly barred from operating as a home…

Benton County Code Chapter 4.16 defines a secondhand dealer as anyone engaged primarily in buying or selling used personal property, metal junk, or melted metals, and requires every…

Benton County Code Chapter 4.16 requires every pawnbroker operating in unincorporated Benton County to keep a legible English-language transaction book recording each loan, sale, or…

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

Richland Municipal Code § 11.50.020 bans riding a skateboard, roller skates, in-line skates or a scooter on any sidewalk within the uptown shopping area, the district bounded by Jadwin…

The City of Richland, Washington abolished its own loitering statute. Richland Municipal Code § 9.06.080, once titled 'Loitering,' now reads only 'Repealed by Ord. 20-11.' No…

The City of Richland, Washington does not write its own public marijuana consumption offense; instead Richland Municipal Code § 9.09.010 adopts RCW 69.50.445, the state law against…

In the City of Richland, Washington, opening a package of liquor or drinking it in any public place is an infraction under Richland Municipal Code § 9.24.120, enacted as part of the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, urinating or defecating anywhere other than a washroom or toilet room counts as a lewd act under Richland Municipal Code § 9.34.025 whenever it…

Richland prohibits parking in any marked bicycle lane under Richland Municipal Code § 11.40.055, regardless of whether a "No Parking" sign is posted at the location. The ban applies to…

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…

The City of Richland, Washington makes it a misdemeanor under Richland Municipal Code § 9.12.055 to bury, burn, dump, collect, remove, or otherwise dispose of refuse on any street…

In the City of Richland, Washington, the blue recycling cart accepts only cardboard, plastic, newspaper, aluminum and tin. RMC § 15.03.020(J) bans glass entirely, and contaminating the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, large cleanouts go through the city's voluntary roll-off container program rather than curbside bulk pickup. RMC § 15.03.090 establishes the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, every dwelling or structure that generates waste must take the city's refuse collection service under RMC § 15.01.040(A). Skipping service does not…

In the City of Richland, Washington, the green yard waste cart is limited to grass clippings, prunings and woody trimmings four inches in diameter or less. RMC § 15.03.020(I) bars…

In the City of Richland, Washington, curbside refuse containers must be at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day with the lid facing the collection truck. RMC § 15.03.030(D) also…

In the City of Richland, Washington, curbside recycling is an optional, request-only service. RMC § 15.03.050(D) delivers a blue container on request with pickup every other week, and…

In the City of Richland, Washington, basic residential service includes a gray household cart and a green yard waste cart, both collected weekly. RMC § 15.03.050(A) requires containers…

RMC § 23.22.020(B)(7)(g) requires any commercial dumpster or recycling collection area in the City of Richland, Washington within 75 feet of a residential zone to sit at least 20 feet…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 16.06.020 requires erosion and sediment control on construction and land-disturbing activity of one acre or more, or on smaller projects that…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 16.05.020 prohibits discharging anything other than stormwater into the municipal storm drain system or any watercourse, naming trash…

Anyone wanting to attach a private mooring or dock to city-owned or city-leased shoreline in Richland must obtain a site permit from the city manager under Municipal Code Section…

New construction and substantial improvements in Richland's mapped flood hazard areas must have the lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood elevation, or two feet above the…

Any construction, fill, grading or other development within Richland's mapped special flood hazard areas needs a development permit from the floodplain administrator before work…

Benton County has no ocean coast, but the Columbia and Yakima rivers are shorelines of the state. Under the Shoreline Management Act, development within 200 feet of these rivers needs…

The City of Richland, Washington restricts loud air conditioners, fans, and blowers under Richland Municipal Code § 9.16.045(C)(10), which bans operating a mechanically powered saw…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 18.16.060 requires every water customer to notify the Public Works Department immediately of any accident, defect or trouble affecting the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, public parks are open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and closed the rest of the night under Richland Municipal Code § 9.22.075. Being present in a…

Benton County Code 6.28.010 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone under eighteen to be on the streets, roads or other public places in unincorporated Benton County between 10:30 p.m. and…

In the City of Richland, Washington, using a city park for an activity the park rules otherwise forbid, such as amplified sound, alcohol, or closing off an area, requires a permit from…

Restaurants and bars in Richland may seat customers in outdoor sidewalk cafes only under a Development Services sidewalk use license, per Municipal Code Chapter 5.14. Operators must…

In the City of Richland, Washington, vendors selling at a street fair, festival or other organized special event must hold a valid business license under RMC § 5.04.243. Unlicensed…

In the City of Richland, Washington, holding a parade or street dance on any city street, alley, or sidewalk requires a permit from the city manager under Richland Municipal Code §…

In the City of Richland, Washington, keeping or permitting rodents, insects, reptiles, fowl, or other animals in a way that violates the law or endangers public safety is a declared…

Richland allows nonmotorized food vending carts on city sidewalks only under a Development Services sidewalk use license, per Municipal Code Chapter 5.14. Vending cart operators must…

Richland regulates mobile food vending as a "portable food vendor," defined as a non-self-propelled cart-type stand serving walk-up customers on a lot with a permitted use. Where the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, mobile food vending is regulated as vehicle-based food service under RMC § 23.42.325. Trucks operate only as an accessory, off-street use tied to…

In the City of Richland, Washington, Richland Municipal Code § 10.04.040 lists the property conditions residents most often report to code enforcement: damaged or dilapidated…

Richland's business license tax splits occupations into rate classes under Municipal Code Section 5.04.130. Professionals, retailers, wholesalers, service providers and day cares pay a…

Richland requires anyone going door-to-door selling goods or taking orders to hold a solicitor or canvasser license under Municipal Code Section 5.12.030. Applicants undergo a…

Benton County keeps no county-wide do-not-knock registry. A posted "No Soliciting" or "No Trespassing" sign carries legal weight: a solicitor who enters or stays after that notice can…

Richland imposes a 4 percent special excise tax on lodging charged by hotels, motels, rooming houses, tourist courts and trailer camps under Municipal Code Section 5.35.010, collected…

In the City of Richland, Washington, letting trash, litter, or discarded material pile up past two cubic yards on a vacant lot is a declared public nuisance under Richland Municipal…

In the City of Richland, Washington, a building or fence that has been damaged by fire, decay, or deterioration to the point of endangering public safety is a declared public nuisance…

In the City of Richland, Washington, whoever has charge or control of a property must clear snow or ice from the public sidewalk fronting it within a reasonable time after it forms…

In the City of Richland, Washington, keeping or allowing morning glory, tackweed, Russian thistle, or any other noxious weed to grow on a property is a declared public nuisance under…

In the City of Richland, Washington, leaving basketball hoops, abandoned vehicle parts, or other objects that block or endanger passage on a public sidewalk, street, alley, or park is…

In the City of Richland, Washington, the person or entity in charge of a property must keep the public sidewalk fronting it, plus the adjoining planting strip and right-of-way, cleaned…

In the City of Richland, Washington, anyone doing construction work in a city right-of-way, easement, or on city-owned infrastructure needs a right-of-way construction permit from the…

In the City of Richland, Washington, Chapter 8.10 bans camping and storing personal property on any city right-of-way, park, trail, parking lot or other city-owned or city-maintained…

Richland zones house-banked card rooms out of a 500-foot buffer around every single-family and medium-density residential zone, every K-12 school and every public playground or park. A…

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…

Richland's outdoor lighting chapter expressly counts billboard lighting as an outdoor light fixture under RMC § 23.58.020, so billboards must meet the same shielding standards as any…

The City of Richland regulates outdoor lighting under RMC Chapter 23.58 to protect the nighttime character of the desert sky and cut glare and light trespass. Every outdoor light…

Richland's outdoor lighting code defines light trespass as light shining beyond the property line where a fixture sits, and RMC § 23.58.030(B) requires every outdoor light fixture to…

Richland lets a residential developer earn extra density by voluntarily widening wetland or wildlife habitat buffers beyond the zoning minimum. Under Richland Municipal Code §…

In the City of Richland, Washington, Development Services will not release a certificate of occupancy or completion until every city department and any state or federal agency with…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 21.01.020(D)(2) declines to adopt the model building code's electrical permit and exemption subcategory at all. Instead, every electrical…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 23.70.030 bars erecting, moving, adding to or structurally altering any building or structure without a permit issued under the city's…

In the City of Richland, Washington, plumbing work is governed by the Uniform Plumbing Code with statewide amendments, adopted under RMC § 21.01.010(K). RMC § 21.01.020(D)(3) drops the…

Richland requires an approved automatic sprinkler system in any building meeting Table 20.05.020's thresholds under RMC § 20.05.020, and the table extends that mandate to R3…

Table 20.05.020 under RMC § 20.05.020 requires carbon monoxide detection in hotels and motels (R1), apartments (R2), and single-family homes, duplexes, and small child care (R3)…

In the City of Richland, Washington, a day care center's outdoor play area must be fenced to at least four feet, and opening one requires a special use permit backed by a title report…

In the City of Richland, Washington, RMC § 23.18.040 caps residential building height at 30 feet in the R-1-12, R-1-10, R-2 and R-2S zones and 40 feet in the R-3 multifamily zone…

RMC § 23.18.040 sets minimum yard setbacks for the City of Richland, Washington's five residential zones: 20 feet front and 25 feet rear in R-1-12, R-1-10 and R-2, shrinking to 15-18…

RMC § 23.18.040 caps how much of a residential lot in the City of Richland, Washington can be covered by buildings: 40 percent in the R-1-12, R-1-10 and R-2 districts, 50 percent in…

The City of Richland, Washington prohibits marijuana-related land uses in every zoning district. RMC § 23.08.100(A) expressly bars marijuana retail sale, production or processing…

Recreational cannabis is legal to buy and use in Washington, but growing it at home is illegal statewide, including in Benton County. Only qualifying medical patients may cultivate…

The City of Richland, Washington maintains two agricultural zones under RMC Chapter 23.14: the AG agricultural district for open land uses like grazing and part-time farming, and the…

Benton County Code Chapter 14.05 shields farming and forest practices in unincorporated areas from nuisance lawsuits. Activities that follow good agricultural practices and predate…

In the City of Richland, Washington, a window sign can cover at most 15 square feet or 10 percent of the window's glass area, whichever is smaller, under RMC Table 27.10.020(B)…

In the City of Richland, Washington, a freeway interchange sign is allowed only in the general business districts (commercial recreation, C-2 and C-3) and only on the freeway side of a…

In the City of Richland, Washington, billboards are banned outright: RMC § 27.08.010(C)(8) lists "billboards" among the signs prohibited in every zoning district, and RMC § 27.06.030…

Political signs are allowed on private property throughout Benton County with no permit, protected as free speech. Signs staked in a county road or state highway right-of-way are…

Garage-sale signs are fine on your own property in Benton County, but directional signs staked in a road right-of-way, median, or on utility poles are prohibited and removed. A sign in…

Benton County requires building and electrical permits for solar installations. The sunny Columbia Basin favors solar, and rooftop arrays interconnect with the local utility under…

Homeowners in Benton County HOAs are protected by Washington's solar rights law. Under RCW 64.38.055, HOA governing documents may not prohibit rooftop solar panels, though the…

Washington requires just cause to evict. In Benton County a landlord may not end a tenancy or refuse renewal except for a reason listed in RCW 59.18.650, nonpayment, a lease breach, or…

Since May 7, 2025, Washington caps annual rent increases statewide under HB 1217. In Benton County a landlord may raise rent no more than 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, 9.68%…

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…

RCW 59.18.060 requires Washington landlords to keep rentals 'fit for human habitation': structurally sound, weathertight, with working plumbing, heat, hot water, electrical systems…

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…

In unincorporated Benton County, a yard sale is only an allowed accessory use if it stays short and infrequent: no more than three consecutive days, and no more than two separate sales…

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…