Plastic straws are not banned outright in Washington but, under RCW 70A.245, food service businesses can only provide them when a customer specifically asks. Seattle has a stricter rule prohibiting plastic straws entirely except where required for accessibility.
The state on-request rule covers plastic straws alongside utensils, cup lids, condiment packets, and stirrers as of January 1, 2022. Within Seattle, a stricter foodware ordinance under SMC 21.36 prohibits plastic straws altogether, requiring compostable or paper alternatives, with a federal disability accommodation exception. King County cities outside Seattle generally follow the state baseline. Operators must train staff to ask before adding straws and ensure self-serve dispensers are not used for plastic straws under most local rules.
Failing to comply triggers state Department of Ecology penalties up to 250 dollars per day and, in Seattle, Public Utilities citations and possible escalation by Seattle Public Health partners.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kent, WA
Kent decibel limits follow WAC 173-60 and KCC 8.05 using EDNA zones. Residential receiving limit is 55 dBA day and 45 dBA night. Commercial sources are cappe...
Kent, WA
Kent industrial sources are capped at 70 dBA day and 65 dBA night at another industrial property, but only 60 dBA day and 50 dBA night when received at a res...
Kent, WA
Commercial trucks over 10,000 pounds GVWR generally cannot park on Kent residential streets except for active loading. Warehouse districts and truck routes h...
Kent, WA
Kent follows Washington State Building Code EV-ready requirements for new multifamily and commercial buildings. Public chargers exist at Kent Station and sev...
Kent, WA
Kent driveway aprons require Public Works approval under KCC Title 6. New or widened driveways need a right-of-way construction permit, and vehicles must not...
Kent, WA
Kent has no city requirement to split shared fence costs with a neighbor. Washington common law controls boundary fences. Survey the property line before bui...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how Kent's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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