What Washington law says about licensing a boarding kennel or daycare, pets nobody picks up, and rabies. Checked November 2, 2026.
No state license
No state license. Check with your county or city; Pierce County, for example, charges $200 for a boarding kennel license.
Covers kennels
With no set end date, a pet is abandoned 15 days after notice to remove it; with a set end date, it's abandoned at the end of the stay with no notice needed. You may deliver it to animal control or a rescue, or else notify the county sheriff.
Required
Dogs must be vaccinated on the vaccine maker's schedule.
Sources: RCW 16.54 WAC 246-100-197 HB 2403 bill analysis (2024)
Facts, not legal advice. Laws change, and your county or city may have its own kennel permit: call them before you rely on any of this.
Zoning, your county or city, and the fire marshal come too. The Opening Kit walks you through all of them, with the questions to ask each office, then insurance, policies, prices and your first twenty clients.
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