State guide
Washington
Before paying anyone in Washington, match the seller to this description: Seattle Animal Shelter for pets in Seattle; RCW 36.49 assigns collection of a county dog license tax to the county treasurer. RCW 36.49 says the county treasurer, after payment of the license tax, delivers a license and a metallic tag. A fee from the official page: Seattle dog licenses: altered one-year $45; unaltered one-year $105; replacement tag $7; late penalty $30. The tag bears the county name, a serial number, and the calendar year.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who sets the license rule
- County treasurers under RCW 36.49 where that chapter applies, and cities such as Seattle that require their own licenses
- Who sells the license
- Seattle Animal Shelter for pets in Seattle; RCW 36.49 assigns collection of a county dog license tax to the county treasurer
- Official page
- Official page →
Seattle Municipal Code section 9.25.050, as cited by the city shelter, requires all cats, dogs, miniature goats, and potbellied pigs to be licensed. The fee page lists an altered dog at $45 and an unaltered dog at $105 for one year. This record is sourced to the official page linked here. Read the linked page before you pay, because a form can change.
Failure to license can result in a $125 citation on that page. A replacement tag is $7 and a late penalty is $30 on that fee page. Use the linked page rather than a third-party summary. Read the linked page before you pay, because a form can change. This entry does not add a phone number or a penalty that the page does not show.
As of January 1, 2025, Seattle issues only one-year licenses. King County's code has a separate pet-license article for pets eight weeks and older kept in the county more than thirty days; do not mix that article with Seattle's fee table. Rules for a neighboring city are not automatically yours. Read the linked page before you pay, because a form can change.
City pages in Washington
Official resources in Washington
County treasurer collects the dog license tax and issues tags.
Municipal code requires licenses for cats, dogs, miniature goats, and potbellied pigs.
Printed one-year fees.
Key facts for Washington
- RCW 36.49 says the county treasurer, after payment of the license tax, delivers a license and a metallic tag.
- The tag bears the county name, a serial number, and the calendar year.
- Seattle Municipal Code section 9.25.050, as cited by the city shelter, requires all cats, dogs, miniature goats, and potbellied pigs to be licensed.
- Failure to license can result in a $125 citation on that page.
- As of January 1, 2025, Seattle issues only one-year licenses.
- The fee page lists an altered dog at $45 and an unaltered dog at $105 for one year.
- A replacement tag is $7 and a late penalty is $30 on that fee page.
City license pages in Washington
| City | city | href | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle dog license | Seattle | /cities/seattle-wa | Seattle Municipal Code section 9.25.050 requires that all cats, dogs, miniature goats, and potbellied pigs be licensed. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Open the official page for Washington before you pay.
- Match the office to the address where the dog lives.
- Bring the rabies certificate if the page says it is required.
- Do not use another state's fee table.
Not seeing your city or county?
We list a city only when an official government page publishes its rules. If yours isn't in the table above, it may not publish them online yet. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Washington, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Washington's population center, for comparison only):
- Sacramento dog license, California · about 605 miles
- Salt Lake City dog license, Utah · about 652 miles
- Murray dog license, Utah · about 660 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.County treasurers under RCW 36.49 where that chapter applies, and cities such as Seattle that require their own licenses
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: MRSC Washington city and town profiles →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Washington page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.