Vancouver, WA

Vancouver Municipal Code Chapter 20.835 (Short-Term Rentals), adopted by the City Council on December 18, 2023, requires every STR permit applicant to submit proof of current, valid…

Vancouver adopted an STR ordinance in December 2023 requiring all short-term rental operators to obtain a city business license and a $250 one-time STR permit. STRs are defined as…

Hosts renting under 30 days must collect and remit Washington retail sales tax plus lodging and convention/trade-center taxes on the rental charge, reported through the Department of…

Unincorporated Clark County sets no whole-home STR occupancy cap. For the county-regulated bed-and-breakfast use, up to six guest bedrooms may be rented within the operator's own…

Unincorporated Clark County sets no dedicated STR parking standard. For a bed-and-breakfast, CCC 40.260.050 requires two off-street parking spaces plus one more for each bedroom…

Whole-home short-term rentals are not restricted to a primary residence in unincorporated Clark County. However, a bed-and-breakfast under CCC 40.260.050 must be the operator's owned…

Unincorporated Clark County does not require a host to be present at a short-term rental. For a bed-and-breakfast, the operator must live on site, since a B&B must be accessory to a…

Vancouver has no dedicated local ordinance banning wildlife feeding. Washington state law prohibits feeding large wild carnivores and, since May 2025, feeding deer, elk, and moose…

It is unlawful to bring into or keep any "wild animal" in unincorporated Clark County without first obtaining a wild-animal license from animal protection and control, which inspects…

Clark County has no cat leash law and no fixed limit on the number of cats. Cats are covered by general nuisance, licensing, and cruelty rules, and the county sponsors a community-cat…

Livestock use is allowed in all zoning districts in unincorporated Clark County. New urban-area livestock structures for large animals must sit 20 feet from all property lines, and…

In designated leash-law areas of unincorporated Clark County, dogs off the owner's premises must be controlled by a leash. Any dog running at large (off the owner's property) is…

Washington has no statewide breed ban, and Clark County imposes no breed-specific restriction. Dogs are regulated by behavior: a dog declared "dangerous" faces strict licensing, a…

Clark County caps dogs through its kennel definition: keeping more than five adult dogs inside the urban growth boundary, or more than nine outside it, makes a property a "kennel"…

Washington RCW 15.60 requires all beekeepers with one or more hives to register their apiaries annually with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, supporting disease tracking…

Vancouver requires pools to meet Washington State Building Code safety standards including barriers, anti-entrapment drain covers, and electrical grounding. Building permits and…

A building permit is required to build an in-ground or above-ground swimming pool or spa in unincorporated Clark County. Construction follows the state-amended International Swimming…

Clark County requires screening fences to use permanent materials. Allowed materials include wood, metal, brick, and masonry; chain link with slats is allowed only for the partial (F1)…

Clark County does not set a cost-sharing rule for boundary fences; that is a private matter under Washington law. County code does let neighbors agree in writing to exceed height…

In unincorporated Clark County, a fence or wall (or a combined berm and fence/wall) may not exceed six feet above finished grade at its base, unless the review authority approves added…

Unincorporated Clark County does not require a building permit for fences seven feet or less in height. Fences over seven feet, and retaining walls over four feet (or any wall carrying…

Clark County allows retaining walls four feet or less (and fences seven feet or less) within easements. Walls over four feet, or fences over seven feet, must meet the underlying zone's…

Industrial noise reaching a Clark County residence is capped by WAC 173-60-040 at 60 dBA (45 dBA drop does not apply to industrial-zone receivers, but residences get the 10 dBA night…

In unincorporated Clark County, using lawn mowers, chain saws and other repair or ground-maintenance power equipment is allowed 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; outside those hours, frequent…

Clark County has no leaf-blower-specific ban. Leaf blowers fall under the ground-maintenance power-equipment exemption: allowed 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; frequent use outside those…

Frequent horn honking, and frequent engine noise from starting, operating, repairing or testing motor vehicles in a residential area that disturbs neighbors, are public disturbance…

Unincorporated Clark County has no single fixed "quiet hours," but yelling, shouting, whistling or singing near a street between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. is a public disturbance noise, and…

A dog that barks, bays, cries or howls continuously for 10 minutes, or intermittently for a half hour or more, to the disturbance of any person is a public disturbance noise in…

Outdoor music, live bands and PA systems fall under Clark County's public disturbance noise rule: loud or raucous amplified sound from a property that frequently or continuously…

Aircraft noise in Washington is preempted by federal aviation law, and the state expressly excludes aircraft in flight from its noise control regulations under WAC 173-60-050.

Carports and detached garages are accessory buildings under CCC 40.260.010. In R1 residential zones they cannot exceed 18 feet in height on lots of 20,000 sq ft or less, or 35 feet on…

Clark County lets you convert an existing garage into an accessory dwelling unit, including a garage within nonconforming setbacks if the nonconformity predated April 26, 2024 and the…

Washington defines a tiny house as a dwelling that may be built on wheels and is no larger than 400 sq ft, excluding lofts. To be a legal permanent residence in Clark County a tiny…

In the urban growth area you may build up to two accessory dwelling units per legal lot, each capped at 1,000 sq ft (up to 1,500 sq ft on lots of 20,000+ sq ft). Rural zones (RADU)…

Clark County restricts oversized vehicles chiefly through its nuisance code: semi-trucks and truck tractors in urban residential front yards are prohibited, RVs may not be parked on…

In unincorporated Clark County you may keep an RV or boat on your own property, but only one boat/personal-watercraft trailer may sit in a front or side setback in urban residential…

Living in a vehicle overnight on a public street or right-of-way in unincorporated Clark County is unlawful without a permit. Residents can buy a $10 permit letting an adjacent RV be…

On unincorporated county roads it is unlawful to park an automobile longer than 24 hours, or to park an RV for any length of time (except loading/unloading up to 24 hours) without a…

In urban unincorporated Clark County, parking motor and recreational vehicles in front yards on pervious (unpaved) surfaces is a declared nuisance. Required off-street parking areas…

In unincorporated Clark County, three or more inoperable vehicles in a rural yard, or any inoperable vehicle in an urban yard, that sit 30+ days visible from the road are a public…

Clark County requires off-street truck loading spaces for larger commercial and institutional buildings. Commercial and industrial buildings 5,000+ square feet need one or more berths…

Clark County Code does not authorize residents to paint or mark public curbs; official curb markings and signage are county functions. The code does prohibit re-parking on the same…

Washington prohibits homeowner and condominium associations from banning EV charging stations and requires EV-ready parking in new construction. RCW 64.38.062 covers HOAs and RCW…

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…

Clark County recommends a 30-foot defensible space cleared of flammable vegetation around your house, with firewood and combustible debris moved at least 30 feet uphill. Washington's…

Washington law (RCW 43.44.110) requires smoke detection devices in all dwelling units. The owner is responsible for installation; tenants maintain them, including batteries. Alarms are…

Recreational fires must burn in a metal, stone or masonry-lined pit no larger than 3 feet across and 2 feet high, sit at least 25 feet from any structure with 20 feet of overhead…

Residential and land-clearing burning is permanently banned inside city limits and urban growth areas (Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, Yacolt) and…

In unincorporated Clark County, consumer fireworks may be discharged only from 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4, and from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1. All other days are banned…

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…

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…

Clark County lets you prune and maintain trees, but landscaping required by the Unified Development Code must be kept healthy, and pruning must not impair the survival of trees…

Clark County regulates tree removal mainly through the state Forest Practices Act (RCW 76.09) and CCC 40.260.080, plus critical-area review near wetlands, streams, and habitat. A…

Clark County actively encourages native landscaping. Its development code favors compatibility with existing native vegetation and drought-resistant plantings, and county programs like…

Clark County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf, and homeowners may install it in their yards. In development-regulated landscaping, county code specifies that…

Washington law RCW 17.10.140 requires every Clark County property owner to eradicate Class A noxious weeds and control designated Class B and C weeds. The county nuisance code also…

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.

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

Selling home-baked goods requires a Washington State Department of Agriculture cottage food permit under RCW Chapter 69.22, not a Clark County permit. Only non-hazardous foods (baked…

Family home child care in Washington is licensed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families under Chapter 110-300 WAC, not Clark County. The department issues family home…

Clark County Code 40.260.100 allows home businesses in residential zones if they stay secondary to living use and preserve neighborhood character. The business must be run by a…

Clark County Code 40.260.100 allows one home-business sign of 2 square feet or less in urban areas, or 6 square feet or less in rural areas. A separate sign permit is not required if…

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…

Washington did NOT adopt the model fire-code ban (IFC 308.1.4) on grills on balconies, so propane and charcoal grills are not prohibited on decks or balconies by state code. However…

Curbside garbage and recycling in unincorporated Clark County is provided by WUTC-certificated haulers. Recycling is collected the same day as garbage on an every-other-week basis…

Curbside recycling is available to all Clark County residents and is mandatory in some cities and urban growth areas, optional elsewhere. Carts take metal cans, paper, cardboard…

Bulky items like furniture, mattresses, appliances, and electronics are not put in curbside carts. Clark County residents request bulky-item collection or use the RecycleRight tool to…

Dumping trash on public or private land in Clark County is prohibited by CCC Chapter 9.28 littering and state law RCW 70A.200.060. Small litter is a civil infraction; over one cubic…

For automated pickup, Clark County directs residents to place carts and bins at least 5 feet from obstructions with 3 feet of separation between carts, away from low branches and other…

Clark County's rural residential districts (R-20, R-10, R-5) set no numeric maximum lot coverage in Table 40.210.020-3 (listed as N/A). Coverage is effectively controlled by large…

In Clark County's rural residential districts (R-20, R-10, R-5), the maximum building height for residential buildings is 35 feet, per Table 40.210.020-3 of the Unified Development…

In Clark County's rural residential districts (R-20, R-10, R-5), the minimum front setback is 50 feet from a road, side setback 25 feet from a street and 20 feet interior, and rear…

In unincorporated Clark County, accumulated junk, debris, and abandoned objects visible from adjacent property are a code nuisance. Urban areas allow no more than one cubic yard of…

Owners of vacant lots must keep them free of accumulated junk and debris under CCC 9.24.010 and must control noxious weeds under state law RCW 17.10.140. Neglected vacant parcels are…

Occasional garage and yard sales in unincorporated Clark County are treated as short temporary uses. Temporary uses of two weeks or less per year per site require registering with the…

Clark County requires outdoor lights (except holiday lights) to be directed or shielded so glare is minimized as seen from streets and nearby dwellings. Illuminated signs must not be a…

Clark County requires outdoor lights, except seasonal holiday lights, to be directed or shielded to minimize glare visible from streets, nearby dwellings, and above the fixtures. This…

Portable and temporary signs, flags and banners are prohibited in unincorporated Clark County unless a temporary sign permit is approved by the responsible official. Garage-sale-type…

Clark County's sign code treats political and other noncommercial messages as on-premises signs. Any sign displaying a noncommercial (including political) message is allowed wherever…

Most Clark County parks are open from 7 a.m. to dusk, with hours varying slightly at a few parks (Luke Jensen Sports Park allows lighted use after dusk). Overnight camping is…

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

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

Washington's Liquor and Cannabis Board licenses cannabis retailers and imposes statewide 1,000-foot buffers from schools and other sensitive uses, which local governments may reduce…

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

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's Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58) requires Shoreline Substantial Development Permits for most construction within 200 feet of marine and freshwater shorelines statewide.

Washington makes it unlawful under RCW 90.48.080 to discharge sediment or other polluting matter into state waters, and the Department of Ecology requires an NPDES Construction…

Washington requires all communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program to adopt floodplain ordinances meeting state minimum standards under RCW 86.16.

Washington Department of Ecology administers federally-required NPDES stormwater permits statewide, setting minimum standards for municipal, construction, and industrial stormwater…

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 WAC 246-215 enforced under RCW 43.20 establishes the statewide retail food code requiring mobile food units including food trucks to obtain permits from local health…

Washington's Gambling Commission is the only licensing authority for commercial card rooms statewide. RCW 9.46.070(2) lets the commission issue one-year licenses to food-and-drink…

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…

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 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…

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's Growth Management Act under RCW 36.70A.170 requires counties and cities to designate and protect agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance through zoning.

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…