Washington Backyard Chicken Laws
Washington has no statewide chicken law — every city sets its own rules. Find your city below.
5
Cities allow chickens
0
Cities ban chickens
5
Cities covered
Important: Washington delegates all backyard chicken rules to local municipalities. Your city's ordinance is what matters — not state law. HOA covenants can also override city rules on your specific property.
Easiest cities
Strictest cities
Bellevue
Up to 6 hens. Commonly cited Bellevue animal-regulation guidance treats fewer than six fowl as household pets; more than six fowl are regulated as small domestic animals with additional land-use constraints
Seattle
Up to 8 hens. Structures housing domestic fowl must be at least 10 ft from any structure with a dwelling unit on an adjacent lot
Spokane
No fixed max. Animal and fowl enclosures must meet accessory-structure setback requirements
Tacoma
Up to 6 hens. Animal enclosures such as cages or coops must be at least 12 ft from the nearest portion of any residence, dwelling, hotel, apartment house, or rooming house
Vancouver
No fixed max. No simple hen-coop setback found in the reviewed city guidance; domestic animal and property maintenance rules still apply
About Washington Chicken Laws
Like most US states, Washington does not have a single statewide law governing backyard chickens. Each city, village, and county sets its own rules about flock size, roosters, permits, coop setbacks, and sanitation.
Always verify rules directly with your city clerk or planning department before purchasing birds or building a coop. Laws change — our pages include a last-verified date and link directly to the municipal code for each city.
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