Spokane Valley, WA

Spokane Valley bans junk vehicles on public rights-of-way under SVMC § 9.40.040(A)(1) and treats them as a nuisance on private property under § 7.05.040(N). A "junk vehicle" is defined…

Spokane Valley bans stopping, standing, or parking within 15 feet of a USPS mailbox under SVMC § 9.40.040, and lets the traffic engineer or city council post site-specific no-parking…

Spokane Valley keeps big trucks out of residential streets through posted 'No Trucks' signs rather than a blanket parking ban. SVMC § 9.30.030 permanently closes any signed street to…

Spokane Valley limits how long a recreational vehicle can sit in a residential front yard: SVMC § 19.65.130(J) caps RV parking in the required front yard setback at 15 consecutive days…

Spokane Valley bans most structures from encroaching into a required yard setback, but walkways and driveways, including cars parked in the driveway, get a specific carve-out: SVMC §…

Spokane Valley sets no fixed count of electric vehicle charging stalls in its own parking code. SVMC § 22.50.020(H) instead makes every off-street parking area comply with Washington's…

Spokane Valley requires on-site loading spaces for retail, service, wholesale, manufacturing, storage, warehousing, hotel/motel and industrial buildings that receive or distribute…

The unincorporated county has no blanket overnight on-street parking ban, but a 2018 chronic-nuisance code and a public-camping ordinance limit living or camping in vehicles. County…

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…

Spokane Valley treats a radio, musical instrument, or sound amplifier that repeatedly or continuously disturbs a reasonable person's peace, comfort, or repose as a noise disturbance, a…

Aircraft noise is carved out of Spokane Valley's residential noise-nuisance rule entirely. SVMC § 7.05.040(K)(2)(c) exempts "sounds originating from aircraft in flight and sounds that…

Spokane Valley's citywide noise ordinance specifically excludes dog barking from its coverage, pointing instead to the park rules chapter. The only codified anti-barking rule bars pets…

Spokane Valley draws a hard line on car stereo noise: SVMC § 9.30.050 bans any vehicle audio system, tape deck, radio, or CD player, audible more than 50 feet from the vehicle…

Spokane Valley's noise disturbance ordinance treats construction sound as unlawful outside a narrow window. Temporary construction-site noise is exempt from the citywide noise ban only…

Industrial and commercial noise reaching homes in Spokane County is governed by WAC 173-60. An industrial (Class C) source may emit up to 60 dBA at a residence, 65 dBA at commercial…

Washington's Department of Ecology sets Spokane County's nighttime quiet hours under WAC 173-60-040: residential (Class A) properties get a mandatory 10 dBA cutback between 10:00 p.m…

Spokane Valley requires branches and vegetation to clear at least eight feet above a public walkway or sidewalk and 14 feet above a public street. SVMC § 7.05.040(A)(1) treats anything…

Spokane Valley does not license or restrict backyard compost bins, but a pile must stay properly maintained or code enforcement can cite it as a garbage or fire nuisance. SVMC §…

Clearing five or more trees or removing more than six trees per acre per parcel in Spokane Valley requires a grubbing and clearing permit unless the work already falls under a grading…

Spokane Valley doesn't mandate native plants, but it rewards them. SVMC § 22.70.040(E)(1) lets a developer boost required landscaping point values by 20 percent for xeriscaping…

State law (RCW 17.10) requires every Spokane County property owner to eradicate Class A noxious weeds and control designated Class B and C weeds on their land. The Spokane County…

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

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

Spokane Valley does not require microchips for ordinary pets, but a dog declared dangerous cannot be registered without one. SVMC § 7.30.045(A)(6) requires "a microchip implant…

In Spokane Valley's parks, trails, and open spaces, pets can only run off-leash where posted, and even then the leash itself is capped by ordinance. SVMC § 6.05.060(J)(2) requires that…

Spokane Valley has no breed ban; instead SVMC § 7.30.035 lets the animal control director declare an individual dog "dangerous" based on its behavior, triggering mandatory…

Cats in Spokane Valley must be licensed under the same rule the City borrows from Spokane County. SVMC § 7.30.010(B) adopts Section 5.04.030 of the Spokane County Code, "Cat License…

Spokane Valley makes it a misdemeanor to capture, tease, annoy, disturb, feed, or strike any bird or animal in a city park, or to throw an object at one. SVMC § 6.05.080(D) carries a…

Spokane Valley allows animal clinics and veterinary offices as a supplemental use, but SVMC § 19.65.110(A) sets the conditions: in the Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zone a clinic may…

Spokane Valley lets residential property owners keep chickens and other small livestock under SVMC § 19.65.020(A), subject to strict density and setback limits. Chickens are capped at…

Spokane Valley allows hobby beekeeping in its residential zones under SVMC § 19.65.020(A)(9), capped at one hive per 4,356 square feet of lot area. Hives must sit at least five feet…

Spokane Valley's zoning code treats any facility that grooms, boards, or trains six or more dogs or cats as a 'kennel,' whether freestanding or attached to a veterinary clinic. Where…

Unincorporated Spokane County requires an annual license to harbor or own an 'inherently dangerous mammal' (wild cats, bears, wild canids) or dangerous reptile, and only adults 18+ may…

Keeping five or more dogs or cats over six months old in unincorporated Spokane County triggers a kennel classification. Five to eight dogs (or five to ten cats) is a private kennel…

Spokane County bars selling, giving away, or even advertising an animal for sale on public property or on private property that's open to the public, such as a parking lot, sidewalk…

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…

Spokane Valley bans retail fireworks sales and personal discharge citywide. SVMC § 7.15.030 makes it unlawful to sell, ignite, discharge, use, or explode consumer fireworks anywhere in…

Spokane Valley bans open fires in city parks, trails, and open space except inside a designated barbecue unit or a designated fire pit, and even that requires department authorization…

Washington's smoke detector law, RCW 43.44.110, requires a working smoke detection device in every dwelling unit rented to a tenant, built after 1980, or sold on or after July 1, 2019…

Spokane County Code Chapter 3.16 sets wildfire-hardening construction standards for every home built in the unincorporated county. Section 3.16.020 requires Class C roofing…

Spokane County has no single fixed defensible-space clearance distance for all homes, but Washington DNR can require abatement of extreme fire hazards on forestland, and county fire…

Burning yard and garden debris is NOT allowed for most residents of Spokane County. Burning garbage and burn barrels are banned statewide. Only residents in a few delegated fire…

Washington adopts the International Fire Code statewide under RCW 19.27.031, including NFPA 58 standards for liquefied petroleum gas (propane). These rules govern container placement…

Spokane Valley allows exactly one sign for a home business: SVMC § 19.65.180(A)(2)(e) permits a single unlighted sign, mounted flush against the exterior wall of the primary structure…

Spokane Valley requires anyone running a for-profit enterprise out of a home to obtain a home business permit under SVMC § 19.65.180(A)(1), and the business can only operate in a…

Spokane Valley caps how much traffic a home business can bring to a residential street: SVMC § 19.65.180(A)(2)(j) limits vehicle traffic and parking to no more than what's normally…

Spokane Valley treats a home day care serving 12 or fewer children as a permitted use in every zoning district in the city, from the R-1 single-family zone through the I industrial…

Selling home-baked or other non-hazardous foods from a Spokane-area home requires a Washington State Department of Agriculture cottage food permit. Products must be made in your home…

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…

Spokane Valley regulates in-ground pools through zoning and building code together: SVMC § 19.65.180(B) requires the pool's vertical wall to sit behind the front yard setback and at…

Spokane Valley requires every in-ground swimming pool to sit behind the front yard setback line and at least five feet from every other property line, and the pool must be secured to…

A shed in Spokane Valley needs at least five feet of clearance from the rear and side property lines and cannot sit in the front yard, per SVMC § 19.70.050(C). Sheds of 200 square feet…

Spokane Valley allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, attached or detached, under SVMC § 19.40.030. The ADU cannot exceed 50 percent of the primary home's habitable floor area…

Spokane Valley requires the titleholder of an ADU property to live in either the primary home or the ADU as a permanent residence for at least six months of the year, per SVMC §…

Converting a garage or attached space into living quarters is treated as creating an accessory dwelling unit or added living area under Zoning Code Chapter 14.606. It needs a building…

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…

Spokane Valley exempts retaining wall excavation from a grading permit only when the wall itself is authorized by a valid building permit and the unsupported excavated height stays at…

Spokane Valley caps residential front-yard fences at 36 inches if they block sight lines or 48 inches if they don't, such as chain link. SVMC § 22.70.020(A)-(B) allows up to eight feet…

Spokane Valley doesn't require a permit for a standard residential fence, but a nonresidential fence over eight feet needs a conditional use permit. SVMC § 22.70.020(C) sets that…

Spokane Valley limits barbed wire to the top quarter of a nonresidential security fence and bans it next to residential zones altogether. SVMC § 22.70.020(E)-(H) also caps electric…

Spokane County's general yard-setback rule keeps buildings out of required front, side and rear yards, but SCC 14.810.200(3) carves out a specific exception for smaller structures. Any…

A short-term rental in Spokane County collects Washington retail sales tax plus local sales tax on lodging under 30 days, and a special hotel/motel tax under RCW 67.28. The King County…

Unincorporated Spokane County has no standalone short-term-rental ordinance. A whole-home or B&B rental is regulated under the Zoning Code as a 'home industry' (bed-and-breakfast…

Spokane County has no STR-specific parking count. For a bed-and-breakfast home industry, SCC Title 14 states parking, traffic, and storage requirements 'shall be as approved by the…

There is no STR-specific noise rule in the county. A rental's noise is subject to Spokane County's public-disturbance nuisance provisions and Washington's maximum environmental noise…

Unincorporated Spokane County has no blanket primary-residence-only STR mandate, but the bed-and-breakfast pathway is defined as a home industry 'in association with a primary…

The county does not require a host to be on-site during stays. However, the bed-and-breakfast home industry is a family-operated use: only members of the family residing on the…

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…

Spokane Valley fines a first offense of intentionally urinating or defecating in public up to $100 as a civil infraction, then charges every later offense as a criminal misdemeanor.

Spokane Valley fines anyone who opens, drinks, or holds an open container of liquor in a public place $50 plus court costs, with exceptions for a vehicle trunk, chartered public…

Spokane Valley makes it a misdemeanor to solicit money, goods, services, or signatures with intent to intimidate someone into complying, covering streets, sidewalks, parking areas…

Spokane Valley allows skateboarding and rollerblading on designated pathways and sidewalks in city parks unless the department posts a restriction. Freestyle stunts on benches…

Unincorporated Spokane County bars anyone under 15 from loitering or congregating on streets, highways, or public places after 11:00 p.m. without a parent or written permission, and…

In unincorporated Spokane County, pedestrians who cross a roadway outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles under SCC 46.61.240. Crossing…

Spokane Valley code enforcement must document a violation and notify the responsible party as soon as reasonable cause exists. A verbal warning goes out first, followed by a written…

Spokane Valley's nuisance ordinance, SVMC § 7.05.040, enumerates the property conditions code enforcement fields the most complaints about: overgrown vegetation, junk vehicles, garbage…

When a Spokane County code enforcement officer documents a nuisance, SCC 6.13.070 requires a written notice of nuisance violation naming the address, the code section violated, and the…

New residential construction in a Spokane Valley flood hazard area must elevate its lowest floor, including any basement, at least one foot above the base flood elevation under SVMC §…

Spokane Valley caps commercial vehicle idling in residential zones at 15 consecutive minutes, or 15 minutes total per calendar day, under SVMC § 9.30.060. The limit covers the R-1…

Spokane Valley requires a development permit before any construction, fill, or land alteration begins within a mapped area of special flood hazard. Chapter 21.30 SVMC adopts the…

Spokane Valley requires an engineered grading permit, and with it a temporary erosion and sediment control (TESC) plan, for land disturbance over 500 cubic yards or on steep cut and…

Spokane Valley regulates stormwater under SVMC Chapter 22.150. Grading over 500 cubic yards, new impervious surface over 5,000 square feet, disturbances of an acre or more…

Spokane Valley lets most private boat docks skip a full shoreline substantial development permit under SVMC § 21.50.110(G), but the owner must still file for a letter of exemption from…

Spokane County requires wildfire defensible space only within rural cluster developments (RCDs), the county's clustered-lot subdivision option in the Rural Traditional, Rural…

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.

Spokane Valley's city manager can declare a dwelling, building, structure, or premises unfit for human habitation or other use and order the owner to repair, vacate, or demolish it…

Spokane Valley requires owners and occupants abutting a designated removal-area sidewalk to clear snow and ice over three inches deep within 48 hours after the snowfall stops, keeping…

Spokane Valley treats noxious weeds and toxic vegetation as a public nuisance on any parcel, vacant or built, under SVMC § 7.05.040(A)(2), which subjects the growth to the state…

Spokane Valley levies a 2% lodging tax plus a separate 1.3% tax, a combined 3.3%, on charges for hotel, motel, rooming house, tourist court and trailer camp stays under SVMC §…

Spokane Valley does not ban card rooms but taxes social card games at 6% of gross revenue under SVMC § 3.25.020(A)(3), and requires operators to file a sworn notice of intent with 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…

Spokane Valley classifies fairs, along with sales, auctions, and exhibitions on public property, as a "special event" under Chapter 5.15 SVMC, requiring a parks and recreation director…

Spokane Valley separately defines a "parade" as any march or procession that does not comply with adopted traffic controls, and Chapter 5.15 SVMC requires a parks and recreation…

Spokane Valley names block parties directly in its "special event" definition, and any street dance on a public street, sidewalk, or lot is separately defined too; both need a parks…

Holding a special event in a Spokane Valley city park requires a permit from the parks and recreation director, filed at least four weeks ahead with $1 million/$2 million liability…

Spokane Valley lets police, city staff or a contracted agent clear an unauthorized encampment after a 48-hour posted notice, store removed belongings for at least 60 days, and remove…

Spokane Valley requires a right-of-way permit under SVMC § 9.50.010 for any construction work or activity that obstructs City rights-of-way, easements, or public property, with narrow…

Spokane Valley treats anything that blocks a public sidewalk, from an overhanging awning to dirt and debris, as a public nuisance under SVMC § 7.05.040(C). The same nuisance chapter…

Spokane County's road standards put sidewalk repair on the commercial property owner, not the county, whenever the owner pulls a building permit or changes the use of a building on a…

A massage or reflexology business in Spokane Valley needs a City business license under Chapter 5.05 SVMC and must comply with Chapter 5.30 SVMC: licensed therapists only, no operating…

Spokane Valley requires a separate City license for every adult entertainment establishment, manager, and entertainer under Chapter 5.10 SVMC, on top of fingerprinting, police…

Spokane Valley requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker to hold a police department-issued license, keep detailed transaction records, and hold pledged property for 90 days before…

Spokane Valley requires every tow operator performing police-initiated impounds to hold a current City registration, and separately bans tow trucks from cruising public streets to…

Anyone buying, selling or consigning used goods more than three times a year in unincorporated Spokane County must hold a secondhand dealer license under SCC 7.05.020. The county…

Retailers in unincorporated Spokane County can't sell, give, sample or market e-cigarettes, liquid nicotine or their components to anyone under eighteen, under Chapter 8.62 of the…

Spokane Valley's Automated Traffic Safety Camera Program, adopted under SVMC Chapter 9.60 in December 2025, authorizes cameras only for speed enforcement in school speed zones, school…

Spokane Valley bars motorized scooters, skateboards, and e-bikes from any street posted above 25 mph unless the rider stays inside a designated bike lane. SVMC § 9.20.050(D) makes…

Spokane Valley regulates shared scooters and e-bikes under its motorized personal transportation device chapter rather than a standalone program ordinance. SVMC § 9.20.020(H) defines…

Spokane Valley does not split riding rules by e-bike class. SVMC § 9.20.020 borrows the state's class 1, 2, and 3 definitions from RCW 46.04.169, then § 9.20.040 and § 9.20.050 apply…

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…

Spokane Valley caps yard sales at a single address to seven consecutive days, two consecutive weekends, or three separate events a year, and crossing any of those lines makes the sale…

Spokane Valley classifies "filming/movie events" on public property as a special event under Chapter 5.15 SVMC. A production needs a parks and recreation director permit filed four…

When a Spokane Valley filming permit needs a street closure, SVMC § 5.15.090 lets the parks and recreation director require traffic control at the production's expense, and §…

Spokane Valley prohibits launching, operating, or landing any airborne vehicle, a category that by code definition includes unmanned aircraft systems and drones, while standing on or…

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.

Spokane Valley makes it a public nuisance to store garbage or recyclables without a receptacle that has a tight-fitting lid. SVMC § 7.05.040(D)(2)(a) also bars piling up broken or…

Spokane Valley prosecutes illegal dumping as littering under SVMC § 8.30.030, which adopts the state litter statute, RCW 70.93.060, into city law. Because the littering chapter sets no…

Spokane Valley requires every dumpster serving a multifamily or nonresidential property to sit inside a six-foot-high, fully sight-obscuring fence on all four sides. The rule applies…

Spokane County runs a mandatory regional solid-waste system. Solid waste generated in unincorporated areas must go to a system disposal site, and it is unlawful to fail to deliver, or…

Certified haulers serving unincorporated Spokane County's urban areas must collect a defined list of recyclables under SCC 8.58.040, must display their business name and phone number…

Bulky and 'problem' wastes go to county transfer stations under set rules. SCC 8.56.220 limits loose tires to five per load, bars unaccepted materials, and the county charges by…

In urban unincorporated Spokane County, certified haulers must collect co-mingled recyclables from every eligible single-family residence at least every other week, on the same day as…

Spokane Valley parks open at 6:00 a.m. year-round and close at 9:00 p.m. from April 15 to October 15, or 7:00 p.m. the rest of the year, unless the parks director approves otherwise in…

Unincorporated Spokane County bars anyone under fifteen from being out in public after 11 p.m. without a parent, guardian, or written permission, and bars anyone under eighteen from…

Spokane Valley keeps licensed marijuana production at least 1,000 feet from vacant school- and library-district land, City-owned parcels, City Hall, and CenterPlace, under SVMC §…

Spokane Valley's zoning code flatly states that 'new marijuana sales shall not be permitted within any zoning districts,' per SVMC § 19.85.030(A). Only marijuana retail stores already…

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

Spokane Valley treats mobile food vending as a supplemental zoning use, not a stand-alone business license. Before setting up anywhere in the city, a mobile food vendor must have the…

Spokane Valley's zoning code pins down where a mobile food vendor can set up: SVMC § 19.65.040(B)(3) confines the truck to a designated paved area on the host site and bars it from…

Spokane Valley caps how much of a residential lot a building can cover under Table 19.70-1 of the zoning code: 30 percent in the large-lot R-1 zone, 50 percent in R-2 and R-3, and 60…

Spokane Valley limits residential building height to 35 feet in the R-1 through R-4 single-family zones and 50 feet in the multifamily residential (MFR) zone under Table 19.70-1…

Spokane Valley sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district in Table 19.70-1 under SVMC § 19.70.020. Front and flanking street setbacks run 35 feet in the R-1 single-family zone and…

Spokane Valley requires all outdoor lighting in residential zones to be shielded so it doesn't spill glare onto neighboring property, and bars fixtures from emitting light above 90…

Spokane Valley has no lighting standard written specifically for billboards; instead, the general sign-lighting rule in SVMC § 22.110.060(A) governs any illuminated sign, including a…

Spokane Valley requires new or modified outdoor lighting on commercial and multifamily sites to be shielded so light doesn't spill across property lines or into the right-of-way. SVMC…

Spokane Valley does not require a sign permit for political signs supporting a candidate, ballot measure, or political issue. SVMC § 22.110.030(B) lists them among dozens of…

Spokane Valley allows one freestanding freeway sign per parcel, but only if the lot is adjacent and contiguous to Interstate 90. Table 22.110-1 under SVMC § 22.110.040 caps a…

Spokane Valley prohibits new billboards outright, including digital ones, under SVMC § 22.110.130(A). The only path to a billboard, electronic or static, is replacing an existing one…

A garage-sale sign in unincorporated Spokane County is a temporary sign, so it needs no sign permit under SCC 14.804.040(3), but placement is not free-for-all. SCC 14.804.110 bars any…

Spokane Valley's nuisance code exempts agricultural activities from two of its broadest nuisance rules. Sounds from farming operations are excluded from the noise-nuisance standard…

Land within a thousand feet of designated agricultural, forest or mineral resource land in Spokane County carries a recorded notice: lawful farming and forestry activity there cannot…

Spokane Valley adopts the Washington State Building Code, including the International Building and Residential Codes, under Title 24 SVMC. A permit is required for most construction…

Spokane Valley governs plumbing work through the Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted with Washington State amendments at SVMC § 24.40.020(A)(6). A permit is required before any plumbing…

Spokane Valley requires a permit before any electrical work begins under SVMC § 24.40.030(B)(5), and treats the state-adopted National Electrical Code, not the model ICC Electrical…

Spokane County Code 3.02.050 governs every building inspection in the unincorporated county: passing one never excuses a code violation, and the inspector's sign-off creates no duty to…

Spokane County enforces Washington's statewide carbon monoxide alarm mandate as part of the state building code it adopts wholesale under SCC 3.01.030. RCW 19.27.530 required new…

Unincorporated Spokane County treats a child day-care center serving more than thirty children as a conditional use in the Large Tract Agricultural, Small Tract Agricultural and Forest…

Spokane Valley requires one medium tree or larger for every 75 linear feet of street frontage on multifamily, nonresidential, and subdivision projects, planted within 10 feet of the…

Spokane Valley's outdoor lighting code exempts holiday decorations outright. SVMC § 22.60.050(G) lists holiday decorations among seven uses excused from the shielding standard in §…

A charcoal or wood-fired smoker, grill or barbecue used for cooking on private property in unincorporated Spokane County counts as a "recreational fire" under WAC 173-425-030(21), the…

Spokane County has designated a countywide weed extermination area under Chapter 8.32 of the county code, declaring Russian Thistle, Canada Thistle, Dalmatian Toadflax, Leafy Spurge…

A Spokane County planned unit development cannot exceed the underlying zone's base density unless the hearing examiner approves a density bonus under section 14.704.310. Developers…

Any temporary tent structure used for an assembly, fair, revival or festival in unincorporated Spokane County needs a permit under SCC 3.18, and if food or drink is served, every food…

Spokane County designates historic landmarks and districts under Spokane County Code 1.48.110, run through a joint city/county Historic Landmarks Commission. A building, site, or…

Spokane County's default landscaping rule requires an automatic irrigation system on every required planting area, but section 14.806.180 lets the director approve xeriscaping or…

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…

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…

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…

Washington bars cities from passing local rent control under RCW 35.21.830, and that preemption still stands. But in 2025 the state enacted its first statewide rent-increase cap. Under…

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…

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 64.38.055 voids homeowner association rules prohibiting solar panel installation, allowing only reasonable placement rules. RCW 64.90.510 gives the same protection to…

Washington RCW 64.38.055 and RCW 64.90.510 bar HOAs and condominium associations from prohibiting solar panels. State policy under RCW 64.04.140 encourages solar energy and authorizes…

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…