Shoreline, WA

Backyard composting is allowed in the City of Shoreline: Shoreline Municipal Code § 13.14.050 protects a compost pile or bin from the general ban on accumulating garbage on private…

Shoreline's development code treats artificial turf as landscaping subject to its hardscape rules: turf with a subsurface drain field, or that drains to soil, counts as only 50 percent…

In the City of Shoreline, cutting or removing any tree counts as clearing under SMC § 20.50.300 and needs a permit from the Planning and Community Development Director before work…

In the City of Shoreline, rain barrels, cisterns and other rainwater catchment systems may encroach into a required yard setback under SMC § 20.50.040(I)(1)(e). Small systems up to 600…

Shoreline's Development Code defines trees, shrubs, or vegetation that overhang and obstruct a sidewalk or street, or block clear sightlines, as 'nuisance vegetation' under SMC §…

Unincorporated King County has no fixed inch limit on grass or weeds. Instead, the Fire Marshal or code official can declare overgrown weeds or vegetation a fire hazard, and owners who…

Unincorporated King County requires new landscaping to use native or climate-adapted plants and encourages keeping existing natural vegetation in place rather than ripping it out for…

Washington Department of Ecology administers water rights and may issue drought emergency orders that override local outdoor watering practices statewide.

In the City of Shoreline, homeowners can build up to two accessory dwelling units per lot under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.210, subject to the density formula in Table…

A backyard shed or greenhouse under 200 square feet and less than 10 feet high can sit inside Shoreline's required rear or side yard setback under SMC § 20.50.040(I)(11), and the same…

Shoreline charges a park impact fee on every new accessory dwelling unit, but SMC § FEE.030 caps it at half of what the principal home on the lot would pay, or the ADU's own…

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…

In the City of Shoreline, keeping pets is a permitted accessory use in every zone under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.240(B)-(C), but households are capped at three unaltered adult…

In the City of Shoreline, backyard beekeeping is capped at four hives with one swarm each on lots under 20,000 square feet under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.240(F). Hives need a…

In the City of Shoreline, keeping swine over 120 pounds and 20 inches tall, roosters, peacocks, peahens, mink, nutria and foxes is banned under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.240(I)…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 6.05.040 makes it unlawful to let a dog run at large on public or private land, whether by day or night, unless it's on a leash, cord or chain of…

The City of Shoreline bans feeding waterfowl in any city park. SMC § 8.12.255 makes it unlawful to place, deposit, scatter or distribute food of any kind with intent to feed ducks…

SMC § 8.12.410 makes it unlawful in any Shoreline city park to capture, attempt to capture, tease, annoy, disturb, or strike any bird or animal, or to throw or propel any object at or…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.590 permits veterinary clinics and hospitals as a use, but only if they meet four site standards: no burning of refuse or dead animals, sound-proofed…

In the City of Shoreline, up to six chickens, excluding roosters, plus rabbits or similarly sized animals can be kept on any residential lot under Shoreline Municipal Code §…

Unincorporated King County has no ban on retail dog or cat sales: pet shops can sell commercially sourced animals. But every pet shop, animal shelter, hobby kennel, and hobby cattery…

In unincorporated King County, keeping an unaltered dog or cat past kittenhood/puppyhood is unlawful unless the owner holds an unaltered pet license for that animal.

King County accepts an implanted microchip as a substitute for a metal license tag on licensed pets, and separately requires microchipping before any shelter adoption and before…

In unincorporated King County, not Seattle, Bellevue, or the county's other 27-plus cities, which run their own codes, cat owners must license cats eight weeks and older within 30 days…

Unincorporated King County requires pet grooming services to hold an operating permit under County Code chapter 11.04 before opening; running one without the permit after a prior…

King County does not ban or restrict any dog breed by name. Instead, King County Code § 11.01.320 defines a potentially dangerous animal by conduct, such as biting or menacing someone…

In the City of Shoreline, small home-based daycares (Daycare I) are a permitted accessory use in the NR3 and NR2 residential zones under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.320(A)…

In the City of Shoreline, home occupations are allowed as an accessory use in any dwelling under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.400, capped at 25 percent of the home's floor area…

Home occupations in Shoreline may install one sign up to four square feet, mounted on the house, a fence, or freestanding as a monument, without a sign permit under SMC § 20.40.400(I)…

SMC § 20.40.400(E)-(F) bars walk-in retail and drop-in service calls at Shoreline home occupations: sales must be by appointment, mail order, or phone/electronic order with off-site…

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 Shoreline, SMC § 8.12.370 bars igniting or maintaining any fire in a city park area except in a designated barbecue unit or a designated fire pit, unless the Parks…

Shoreline adopts the International Mechanical Code for LP-gas installations but swaps in a stricter standard: SMC § 15.05.010(C) requires every propane installation to meet NFPA 58…

Outdoor burning is banned at all times in the City of Shoreline under SMC § 15.05.050(J), which amends International Fire Code Section 307.1.1 to enforce the Puget Sound Clean Air…

In the City of Shoreline, Group R-2 apartment buildings must have fire alarm and smoke alarm systems installed under Shoreline Municipal Code § 15.05.050's amendment to International…

Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 9.15 bans selling, possessing, using, transferring, discharging or igniting any fireworks anywhere in the city, with narrow exceptions for…

Unincorporated King County lets homeowners clear brush and prune trees near a house for wildfire safety without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distance limits set by county…

Unincorporated King County allows limited tree and brush clearing near homes for wildfire preparedness without a clearing and grading permit, including clearing up to 100 feet with a…

SMC § 9.05.040's Table 1 caps how much sound may cross into another property: a Class A (residential) EDNA may receive no more than 55 dBA in daytime hours and 45 dBA at night, while…

SMC § 9.05.050 bars operating a motor vehicle on Shoreline's public highways in violation of the state's WAC 173-62-030 noise performance standards, and § 9.05.070(F) separately makes…

SMC § 9.05.060(A)(11) exempts "sounds originating from aircraft in flight" from every provision of Shoreline's noise control chapter, at any time of day. The City of Shoreline has no…

In the City of Shoreline, yelling, shouting, whistling and singing that unreasonably disturbs a neighbor's peace is a public nuisance under Shoreline Municipal Code § 9.05.070(D), and…

In the City of Shoreline, a dog, cat or other domesticated animal that makes frequent, repetitive or continuous noise disturbing a neighbor's peace is a public nuisance under Shoreline…

In the City of Shoreline, playing a radio, stereo, or other audio equipment loud enough to be heard more than 50 feet from the source, when not on the operator's own property, is a…

In the City of Shoreline, construction noise outside 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends is a public nuisance under Shoreline Municipal Code §…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.110(A) caps fences along a property line at six feet, subject to sight clearance rules in the Engineering Development Manual, and recommends a…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.110(B) flatly prohibits electric, razor wire and barbed wire fences citywide. The ban applies regardless of zone or property line, in contrast to…

In the City of Shoreline, a previously permitted rockery or retaining wall built to its engineered design is exempt from further geologic hazard review under SMC § 20.80.215(E). Once a…

In the City of Shoreline, fences that meet the height and material standards of SMC § 20.50.110 (or § 20.50.190 in commercial and multifamily zones) install without a City building…

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.

Shoreline Municipal Code § 10.05.030(C) authorizes a police officer to have a vehicle towed at their discretion when it illegally occupies a posted commercial loading zone or other…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 10.05.030(E) locally amends RCW 46.61.570 to bar stopping, standing or parking in eighteen specific spots, from sidewalks and crosswalks to bike lanes and…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 10.05.030(E)(1)(a)(xiii) bars parking a commercial vehicle wider than 80 inches on any arterial, street or alley in a residentially zoned area, or on a…

In the City of Shoreline, curbs along a designated fire apparatus access road must be painted yellow on both the vertical and horizontal face under Shoreline Municipal Code §…

In the City of Shoreline, storing a junk vehicle on private property is declared a nuisance under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.30.750. The City can order the vehicle removed after…

In the City of Shoreline, an inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicle, RV or boat cannot be parked, kept or stored on any premises, and none may sit in a state of major disassembly or…

In the City of Shoreline, every vehicle parking or storage area for a home or business must sit in a garage, carport, or on an approved impervious surface, pervious concrete, or paver…

In the City of Shoreline, any electric vehicle charging station open to the public must post signage restricting the space to vehicles that are actually plugged in and charging, under…

In unincorporated King County, parking outside the hours posted on time-limit signs is unlawful. There's no blanket overnight ban: the restriction only applies on streets where the…

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…

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…

Unincorporated King County requires private pools, hot tubs and spas over 24 inches deep to be fully enclosed by a 60-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates.

In unincorporated King County, an above-ground pool that can hold water more than 24 inches deep is regulated as a swimming pool under the Washington State Residential Code Appendix…

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…

Washington imposes statewide sales tax and lodging taxes on short-term rental stays under 30 days. Operators must register with the Department of Revenue, collect applicable taxes, and…

The City of Shoreline caps how much a garbage receptacle can weigh once filled and requires clear access for pickup. Shoreline Municipal Code § 13.14.070 limits a 32-gallon can to 65…

Every nonresidential property in the City of Shoreline, from a shop to a commercial building, must keep enough garbage receptacle capacity on site to hold everything it generates…

Shoreline tells residents exactly where to set garbage carts for pickup. Shoreline Municipal Code § 13.14.080 requires carts to sit off the sidewalk and as close to the curb as…

Shoreline runs its recycling program through curbside carts rather than a mandatory sign-up. Shoreline Municipal Code § 13.14.175 encourages customers to participate and lets…

Only specific materials may go into a Shoreline recycling cart. Shoreline Municipal Code § 13.14.010 defines recyclable materials as items like aluminum and tin cans, cardboard, glass…

In the City of Shoreline, yard debris goes out for curbside pickup in a 32-, 64- or 96-gallon cart from the authorized collection company under SMC § 13.14.180. Extra brush must be…

In the City of Shoreline, large appliances and bulky items are collected for a fee by the authorized garbage hauler under SMC § 13.14.190, at the same curbside spot used for regular…

In the City of Shoreline, dumping, throwing or placing garbage on public or private property outside an authorized receptacle or disposal site violates SMC § 13.14.220. Unlawful…

Every residential property in the City of Shoreline is billed for at least the minimum level of solid waste collection service, whether the owner uses it or not. Shoreline Municipal…

Certificated haulers in unincorporated King County must set their own holiday schedule and tell the county and customers about it in advance: King County Code § 10.18.010(E)(2)…

In unincorporated King County, garbage carts can't contain yard waste: haulers are barred from collecting a container with visible grass clippings or branches mixed in with regular…

Operating a pawnshop in the City of Shoreline without a pawnbroker's license is unlawful under SMC § 5.07.400. The city caps the number of pawnbroker licenses at one per 15,000…

Buying, selling, or trading secondhand goods in the City of Shoreline without a secondhand dealer's license is unlawful under SMC § 5.07.500. Dealers must report every purchase to the…

The City of Shoreline requires separate licenses for adult cabaret operators, entertainers, and managers before any sexually oriented dance venue can open, under SMC § 5.10.020…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.400(D) bans automobile, truck and heavy-equipment repair and auto body work or painting as home occupations in every residential zone, no matter how…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 10.05.030(B) locally amends the state Model Traffic Ordinance's definition of an unauthorized vehicle, setting how long a vehicle can sit on public or…

Any regulated massage business in the City of Shoreline needs a business license and a licensed manager before opening, per SMC § 5.07.305 and § 5.07.315. Massage practitioners…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.465(B) excludes tobacco/vape stores, defined at SMC § 20.20.048, from the ground-floor nonresidential space that mixed multifamily-commercial buildings…

Anyone selling goods or services door-to-door in the City of Shoreline as a solicitor or master solicitor must obtain a city license before canvassing, under SMC §§ 5.07.610 and…

Unincorporated King County lets any occupant bar door-to-door solicitors just by posting a sign. Under King County Code § 12.66.010, once a "No Solicitation" or "No Trespassing" sign…

In the City of Shoreline, new off-premises advertising billboards are banned outright: SMC section 20.50.550(C) lists them among prohibited signs in every zone. Any billboard already…

Garage sale signs in the City of Shoreline are exempt from a sign permit, but SMC section 20.50.610(O) caps them at four square feet per sign face and limits how long they can…

Campaign signs in the City of Shoreline do not need a sign permit under SMC section 20.50.610(R), which exempts "campaign signs that comply with size, location and duration limits…

In the City of Shoreline, a property zoned NB, CB or TC-3 that fronts a state route, SR 99, 104, 522 or 523, qualifies for the larger MB, TC-1 and TC-2 monument sign standards under…

In the City of Shoreline, a window sign in the MUR-45', MUR-70', NB, CB, MB, TC-1, TC-2 or TC-3 zones can cover no more than 25 percent of the total window area under SMC §…

The City of Shoreline requires a filmmaking permit before any production may use a city park or city building for filming. Chapter 5.25 SMC sets three permit tiers, low, moderate and…

Shoreline requires a filmmaking permit whenever a production will temporarily interrupt vehicle or pedestrian traffic on city streets or sidewalks. SMC § 5.25.030 lists this alongside…

To reserve a Shoreline park facility, athletic field, tennis court or community center for a nonroutine event, SMC § 8.12.040 requires a facility use permit issued by the parks…

A street fair, festival or other large gathering that uses a Shoreline street needs a right-of-way use permit under SMC § 12.15.030(D), which lists "assemblies, fairs, carnivals…

Shoreline lets residents close a street for a block party only under a right-of-way permit and the notice standards in SMC § 12.15.130: signs posted at least three days ahead, and any…

A restaurant that wants tables on a Shoreline sidewalk needs a right-of-way site permit, not just a business license. SMC § 12.15.030(C)(1)(g) names "sales structures, including…

Any parade, race, or procession on a Shoreline street or sidewalk needs a right-of-way use permit from Public Works and Utilities under SMC § 12.15.030(D). The department can add…

In the City of Shoreline, skateboards and rollerblades may be used in city park facilities only where the parks department has specifically designated the activity. SMC § 8.12.330 bars…

SMC § 8.12.395 prohibits smoking and tobacco use of any kind, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco, and electronic or vaporized smoking devices, in every city…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 9.10.560 designates the Aurora Avenue corridor between 145th and 205th Streets a Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) zone, an anti-prostitution emphasis…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 9.10.640 makes it a civil infraction to intentionally urinate or defecate in public, in any place other than a washroom or toilet room, or anywhere the act…

In the City of Shoreline, begging with intent to intimidate someone into giving money or goods in any public place is a misdemeanor under Shoreline Municipal Code § 9.10.140. The…

In the City of Shoreline, opening, consuming, or possessing an open container of liquor in a public place carries a civil fine of up to $50.00 under Shoreline Municipal Code §…

Unincorporated King County treats a loud house party as a public disturbance noise violation, and the person in possession of the property, not just whoever is making the racket, is…

In the City of Shoreline, city park areas close 45 minutes after sunset and reopen 45 minutes before sunrise under SMC § 8.12.350, unless the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services…

Washington does not impose a statewide juvenile curfew; cities may enact local curfews under general police powers, subject to constitutional limits.

SMC § 9.05.070(E) defines frequent, repetitive, or continuous sounds emanating from any building, structure, apartment, or condominium, such as musical instruments, audio sound…

In the City of Shoreline, frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of a horn or siren attached to a motor vehicle or watercraft is defined as public nuisance noise under Shoreline…

In unincorporated King County, air conditioners, heat pumps and other stationary equipment noise must stay under the county's district-based sound level table, dropping 10 dB(A)…

In unincorporated King County, amplified bass that's plainly audible or felt 50 feet from the source (300 feet for watercraft) in a residential or rural district is a public…

In unincorporated King County, generators count as regulated 'equipment,' so their noise can't exceed the county's maximum permissible sound levels: as low as 49 dB(A) reaching a rural…

Shoreline requires a building permit for construction, alteration, or repair work under the International Building Code and International Residential Code the city adopted in SMC §…

Shoreline adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code, published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, as its plumbing code under SMC § 15.05.010(F), but carves…

Every new one- and two-family dwelling built in Shoreline must include an automatic residential fire sprinkler system under SMC § 15.05.040(D), which adopts and amends International…

In the City of Shoreline, larger childcare centers (Daycare II) require an approved conditional use permit in the NR3 and NR2 zones under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.320(B)…

Shoreline has no mandatory green building code; instead SMC § 20.50.630 creates the Deep Green Incentive Program (DGIP), a voluntary tiered system that waives fees and grants…

In the City of Shoreline, a building permit is not finished until a final inspection is signed off: SMC § 15.05.040 amends the International Residential Code's Section R110.3 so that a…

The City of Shoreline adopts the current National Electrical Code under Shoreline Municipal Code § 15.05.010(J), tying local electrical work to the state's Chapter 296-46B WAC rules…

Unincorporated King County requires dwelling entry doors to have a dead bolt lock operable from inside without a key, mounted no higher than 48 inches.

A food truck or trailer that cooks with appliances producing smoke or grease-laden vapors, or that runs on LP-gas or CNG, needs a fire department operational permit under SMC §…

Shoreline runs no red-light camera program. Chapter 10.21 SMC authorizes automated traffic safety cameras only in school speed zones, and each site needs a City Traffic Engineer…

King County's traffic code regulates every motorized foot scooter operated on unincorporated county roads, alleys, trails and park property, including shared and dockless units. Riders…

In unincorporated King County, a transportation network company vehicle may not stop, stand or park on a county road except in a designated taxicab stand, unless it is briefly stopped…

King County Code lets Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes use regional trails and paved pathways in county parks, but bans Class 3 e-bikes from every trail and pathway in park areas.

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…

SMC § 20.50.020, footnote (23)(a) gives Shoreline property owners a density bonus for middle housing: one existing dwelling unit per lot is exempt from the zone's unit-density maximum…

Unincorporated King County has no countywide downtown design code: only the North Highline subarea (the White Center activity center) has adopted urban design standards under K.C.C…

Shoreline runs a dedicated surface water utility under Chapter 13.10 SMC and requires all new development and redevelopment to follow the state Stormwater Management Manual for Western…

In the City of Shoreline, piers and docks along Puget Sound may only be built if they meet every condition in SMC § 20.230.170 and Table 20.230.081. The code caps new or shared docks…

Shoreline regulates every new structure, substantial improvement, manufactured home, and long-term RV placement in the special flood hazard area under SMC § 13.12.500, requiring…

In the City of Shoreline, any activity that clears, grades or otherwise disturbs a site, whether a permit is required or not, must control erosion and sediment under SMC §…

Shoreline sets its freeboard at one foot above base flood elevation: SMC § 13.12.105 defines the flood protection elevation as "the base flood elevation plus one foot," and SMC §…

Unincorporated King County lets property owners clear brush and prune trees for wildfire defensible space without a clearing permit, but only within fixed distances from the house set…

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.

Shoreline puts snow and ice removal on the property owner next door, not the city. SMC § 12.05.020(A) requires the owner of property abutting a public sidewalk to keep it "at all…

In the City of Shoreline, the code official can condemn a structure, piece of equipment or premises found unsafe, dangerous or unfit for human occupancy under Shoreline Municipal Code…

In the City of Shoreline, dead, overgrown or obstructive vegetation on a vacant or unimproved lot is declared a public nuisance under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.30.740(A)(6)…

Shoreline places both the duty and the bill for sidewalk upkeep on the property next to it. SMC § 12.05.020(B) states the burden and expense of constructing, maintaining and repairing…

Placing a bus shelter, fence, kiosk or other structure in a Shoreline street or sidewalk right-of-way requires a right-of-way site permit under SMC § 12.15.030(C). The Public Works and…

Shoreline bars any private use of a street or sidewalk right-of-way unless a permit is issued. SMC § 12.15.030(B) says city right-of-way "shall not be privately improved or used for…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.050 measures building height from the average existing grade to the roof's highest point, using the smallest rectangle enclosing the building…

Table 20.50.020(1) of Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.020 caps impervious hardscape coverage at 50 percent of the lot in the NR3, NR2 and NR1 residential zones and 90 percent in TC-4…

Table 20.50.020(1) of Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.020 sets a uniform 10-foot minimum front yard setback across the NR3, NR2, NR1 and TC-4 residential zones, a 20-foot…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.115(A) requires outdoor lighting fixtures to be non-glare and shielded so the light source itself is not directly visible from neighboring…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 20.50.115(B) bans upward floodlight projection, search lights, laser lights and any similar high-intensity light, plus flashing, blinking, rotating or…

Unincorporated King County allows billboards to be illuminated, but light sources must sit no farther from the sign than its height and can't shine directly into homes or streets.

The City of Shoreline taxes business activity under seven classifications in Shoreline Municipal Code § 3.22.050: extracting, manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, printing and…

King County levies a 1% tax on vehicle parking charges at the stadium and exhibition center owned by the Washington State Public Stadium Authority, rising to 10% once construction…

Shoreline taxes social card game rooms licensed by the Washington State Gambling Commission at 10 percent of annual gross receipts over $10,000, under SMC § 3.30.020(D). The city does…

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…

Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 9.40, adopted by Ordinance 1059 on April 27, 2026, prohibits using any city-owned or city-controlled property as a staging area, processing location or…

In the City of Shoreline, home-generated sharps such as syringes, needles and lancets cannot go into a regular garbage cart unless they are sealed in a city-approved container…

Every structure and exterior property in the City of Shoreline must stay free of rodent harborage and infestation under Shoreline Municipal Code § 15.05.070's IPMC Sections 302.5 and…

The City of Shoreline designates local historic landmarks under Chapter 15.20 SMC, administered by the King County Landmarks Commission sitting as the city's landmarks commission. Six…

Shoreline's tree conservation code recognizes a 'landmark tree' as any healthy tree over 24 inches in diameter with exceptional size, age, or historic value, per SMC § 20.20.048. Once…

In the City of Shoreline, trees the City designates as landmark trees under SMC § 20.50.350(F), generally 30 inches or larger in diameter or otherwise historically or visually…

In the City of Shoreline, developments that trigger frontage improvements under Chapter 20.70 SMC must plant street trees along commercial, office, industrial, public-facility, and…

Shoreline permits transitional encampments and emergency shelters for the homeless only through a temporary use permit with added conditions under SMC § 20.30.295(E), capped at 100…

In the City of Shoreline, every rented dwelling must have permanently installed, functioning heating facilities capable of maintaining 68°F in habitable rooms and bathrooms under…

Washington state law (RCW 35.21.830) preempts local rent control in King County and all Washington jurisdictions. Neither King County nor any city within it may cap rent increases…

Since 2021, Washington's just-cause statute RCW 59.18.650 prohibits no-fault evictions of month-to-month tenants. Landlords in King County must cite one of sixteen enumerated causes…

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…

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 Shoreline, the outdoor lighting standard at SMC § 20.50.115 bans floodlighting, search lights, and flashing or strobe fixtures visible off a property, but it carves out…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.30.740(A) lists nine categories of code violation the City declares a public nuisance, from land use and refuse violations to nuisance vegetation, illegal…

King County targets citations within 60 days of a complaint and notice-and-orders within 120 days, per code enforcement guidelines.

Unincorporated King County residents report suspected code violations through the county's online Permitting portal or by calling code enforcement at 206-296-6600; the code authorizes…

In the City of Shoreline, removing noxious weeds or invasive vegetation listed by the Washington State or King County Noxious Weed Control Board from a critical area or its buffer is…

Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.40.374(C) bars cannabis sales among the general retail uses prohibited in the City's Mixed-Use Residential (MUR) zones, and § 20.94.020's Table 20.94.020A…

State law and King County Code require licensed cannabis retailers, producers, and processors to sit at least 1000 feet from schools, playgrounds, recreation centers, child care…

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

Shoreline bans reclaimed or recycled water use within its one designated special drainage area, the Deer Creek Wellhead Protection Buffer Area, under SMC § 13.10.230, unless the water…

Shoreline's development code defines "hardscape" so that artificial turf with subsurface drain fields counts as only 50 percent hardscape and 50 percent pervious, under SMC §…

King County administrative offices and executive departments are banned from obtaining, retaining, accessing or using facial recognition technology, with narrow exceptions.

King County treats license-plate-reader data as personal information and bars county agencies and contractors from handing it to ICE, CBP, or USCIS for civil immigration enforcement…

Washington law (RCW 64.38.055 and RCW 64.90.510) prohibits King County HOAs from banning solar panels. Associations may impose reasonable aesthetic rules that do not significantly…

Unincorporated King County waives a building permit for roof-mounted home solar panels weighing under 4 pounds per square foot and rising no more than 18 inches above the roof; bigger…

Unincorporated King County protects farmland with a dedicated Agricultural (A) zone that limits residential density and restricts uses to those compatible with farming.

King County's sales-and-use-tax chapter doesn't set a standalone hotel tax rate. Instead it exempts hotel and short-term lodging sales from each add-on county tax once the combined…

Unmanned model aircraft, rockets, and drones are banned in King County parks and trails unless the county specifically designates and posts an area for that use or the parks director…

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…