For AI agents: read the machine-readable documentation index at /llms.txt or the single-file full reference at /llms-full.txt.
Form a Business

Use Regulations

SEA-MC tit. 18, ch. 18.12, subch. VII
in effect

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.245 General park operating hours—Four a.m. through Eleven-thirty p.m.

18.12.245 - General park operating hours—Four a.m. through Eleven-thirty p.m. General park operating hours shall be between four (4:00) a.m. and eleven-thirty (11:30) p.m. Individual parks, unless provided otherwise pursuant to this section, shall not be open to the public between eleven-thirty (11:30) p.m. and four (4:00) a.m. For purposes of this section, "parks" includes all parks and bodies of water contained therein, trails, golf courses, beaches, playgrounds, playfields, greenbelts, and open space areas comprising the parks and recreation system of the City under the management and control of the Superintendent. For purposes of this section, "park" does not include the following drives, parkways, and boulevards: Alaskan Way; Cheasty Boulevard; Lake Washington Boulevard; Lakeside Avenue South; Magnolia Boulevard; Lark Park Drive South; Queen Anne Boulevard; Ravenna Boulevard; and Schmitz Boulevard. The Superintendent may establish specified operating hours for individual parks or facilities, pursuant to SMC Section 18.12.040, including designating specified individual parks as open to the public twenty-four (24) hours per day. (Ord. 117645 § 1, 1995.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.255 Liquor offenses

18.12.255 - Liquor offenses It is unlawful in a park to consume, or to possess an open container holding, or to open a container holding liquor as defined in Section 12A.24.010 except pursuant to permits respectively issued by the Superintendent and the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board or its successor. Conduct made unlawful by this Section 18.12.255 shall constitute a class 3 infraction punishable under chapter 7.80 RCW. (Ord. 124949, § 13, 2015; Ord. 122789, § 18, 2008; Ord. 113565, § 2, 1987; Ord. 113436, § 15, 1987.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.257 Unlawful possession of liquor in a public park

18.12.257 - Unlawful possession of liquor in a public park It is unlawful in a park to possess an unopen container of liquor, as defined in Section 12A.24.010, except: A. Pursuant to permits respectively issued by the Superintendent and Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board; or B. Pursuant to rules or regulations adopted by the Superintendent; or C. During the direct and immediate transportation of liquor in the retailer's original package, accompanied by an original receipt therefore, through a park to a place where liquor can be lawfully consumed or to a vehicle outside a park. D. An offense under this Section 18.12.257 is a violation, the punishment for which shall be as specified in Section 12A.02.080. (Ord. 124949, § 14, 2015; Ord. 113565, § 1, 1987.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.260 Littering—Trash deposit.

18.12.260 - Littering—Trash deposit. It is unlawful to throw or deposit any refuse or other material in any park, except in designated receptacles; or to take garbage or refuse to a park for disposal in the park; or to deposit garbage or refuse generated outside a park in a receptacle within the park designated for deposit of trash by the public. (Ord. 113436 § 16, 1987: Ord. 106615 § 14, 1977.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.265 Motorized models.

18.12.265 - Motorized models. It is unlawful to operate any motorized model aircraft or motorized model watercraft in any park except at places set apart by the Superintendent for such purposes or as authorized by a permit from the Superintendent. (Ord. 113436 § 17, 1987.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.270 Fires.

18.12.270 - Fires. It is unlawful (a) to ignite or maintain any fire or to participate in igniting, maintaining or using any fire within any park except in a designated stove or fire ring, or in a beach area at Carkeek Park approved by the Superintendent for beach fires, or (b) to ignite in any stove or fire ring any household rubbish or other material banned from outdoor burning by air pollution control regulations, or (c) to ignite or maintain a fire in any fire ring during any stage on an air pollution episode declared by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency. All fires within parks are prohibited between the hours of eleven p.m. (11:00 p.m.) and six a.m. (6:00 a.m.). (Ord. 113436 § 18, 1987: Ord. 106615 § 15, 1977.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.275 Permits.

18.12.275 - Permits. It is unlawful to use a park or conduct an activity or hold an event in any park for which a permit is required by this chapter or by rules of the Superintendent without first obtaining a permit from the Superintendent. (Ord. 113436 § 19, 1987.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.278 Park exclusion.

18.12.278 - Park exclusion. A. The Superintendent may, by delivering an exclusion notice in person to the offender, exclude from a City park zone or zones, anyone who within a City park: 1. Violates any provision within this chapter; or 2. Violates any park rule as defined in Section 18.12.030; or 3. Violates any provision of the Seattle Municipal Code or Revised Code of Washington. The offender need not be charged, tried, or convicted of any crime or infraction in order for an exclusion notice to be issued or effective. The exclusion may be based upon observation by the Superintendent or upon the sort of civilian reports that would ordinarily be relied upon by police officers in the determination of probable cause. B. If the offender: 1. Has not been excluded from any City park zone by an exclusion notice issued within one (1) year prior to the violation and the current violation is not a felony violation or weapon violation, then the Superintendent may exclude the offender from the City park zone in which the current violation occurred for a period not exceeding seven (7) days from the date of the exclusion notice; 2. Has been the subject of only one (1) prior exclusion notice issued within one (1) year prior to the current violation and neither the current nor the past violation was a felony violation or weapon violation, then the Superintendent shall exclude the offender from the City park zone in which the current violation occurred for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of the exclusion notice; 3. Has been the subject of two (2) or more prior exclusion notices issued within one (1) year prior to the current violation, all from the same City park zone in which the current violation occurred, or if the current violation is a felony violation or weapon violation, then the Superintendent shall exclude the offender from the City park zone in which the current violation occurred for a period of one (1) year from the date of the exclusion notice; 4. Has been the subject of two (2) prior exclusion notices within one (1) year prior to the current violation and, in combination, the current violation and those prior violations took place in two (2) or more City park zones, then the Superintendent shall exclude the offender from all City park zones for a period of one (1) year from the date of the exclusion notice. C. The exclusion notice shall be in writing and shall contain the date of issuance. The exclusion notice shall specify the length and places of exclusion. It shall be signed by the issuing individual. Warning of the consequences for failure to comply shall be prominently displayed on the notice. D. Only the Superintendent's Hearing Officer after a hearing may rescind or shorten an exclusion notice. E. An offender receiving an exclusion notice longer than seven (7) days may seek a hearing before the Superintendent's Hearing Officer to have the exclusion notice rescinded or the period of exclusion shortened. The request for a hearing shall be delivered to the Superintendent's Hearing Officer or postmarked no later than seven (7) days after the issuance date of the exclusion notice. The request for hearing shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by a copy of the exclusion notice on which the hearing is sought. The hearing should occur within seven (7) days after the Superintendent's Hearing Officer receives the request for hearing. The Superintendent's Hearing Officer shall take reasonable steps to notify the offender of the date, time, and place of the hearing. F. The Superintendent's Hearing Officer may issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents, and shall administer oaths to witnesses. The Superintendent's Hearing Officer shall not issue a subpoena for the attendance of a witness at the request of the offender unless the request is accompanied by the fee required by RCW 5.56.010 for a witness in district court. The offender shall be responsible for serving any subpoena issued at the offender;s request. G. At the hearing, the violation must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence in order to uphold the exclusion notice. If the exclusion notice was issued because of the alleged violation of any criminal law, the offender need not be charged, tried, or convicted for the exclusion notice to be upheld. The exclusion notice establishes a prima facie case that the offender committed the violation as described. The Superintendent's Hearing Officer shall consider a sworn report or a declaration under penalty of perjury as authorized by chapter 5.50 RCW, written by the individual who issued the exclusion notice, without further evidentiary foundation. The certifications authorized in Rule 6.13 of the Criminal Rules for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction shall be considered without further evidentiary foundation. The Superintendent's Hearing Officer may consider information that would not be admissible under the evidence rules in a court of law but which the Superintendent's Hearing Officer considers relevant and trustworthy. H. If the violation is proved, the exclusion notice shall be upheld; but upon good cause shown, the Superintendent's Hearing Officer may shorten the duration of the exclusion. If the violation is not provided by a preponderance of the evidence, the Superintendent's Hearing Officer shall rescind the exclusion. If the Superintendent's Hearing Officer rescinds an exclusion, the exclusion shall not be considered a prior exclusion for purposes of Seattle Municipal Code Section 18.12.278 B. I. The decision of the Superintendent's Hearing Officer is final. An offender seeking judicial review of the Superintendent's Hearing Officer's decision must file an application for a writ of review in the King County Superior Court within fourteen (14) days of the date of that decision. J. The exclusion shall remain in effect during the pendency of any administrative or judicial proceeding. K. No determination of facts made by a person conducting a hearing under this section shall have any collateral estoppel effect on a subsequent criminal prosecution or civil proceeding and shall not preclude litigation of those same facts in a subsequent criminal prosecution or civil proceeding. L. This section shall be enforced so as to emphasize voluntary compliance with laws and park rules, and so that inadvertent minor violations that would fall under subsection B1 of this section can be corrected without resort to an exclusion notice. (Ord. 127303, § 42, 2025; Ord. 118607 § 2, 1997.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.279 Trespass in parks—Definition—Punishment.

18.12.279 - Trespass in parks—Definition—Punishment. A. Any person who knowingly: 1. Enters or remains in a park from which he or she has been excluded during the period covered by an exclusion notice pursuant to SMC Section 18.12.278; or 2. Enters, remains in, or is otherwise present within the premises of a park during hours which the park is not open to the public, unless the person is present within the park to participate in an activity either conducted by the Department or conducted pursuant to the terms of a permit issued by the Department; shall be guilty of trespass in parks, a gross misdemeanor subject to the provisions of Chapters 12A.02 and 12A.04 of the Seattle Municipal Code. B. It is not a defense to the crime of trespass in parks: 1. That the underlying exclusion issued pursuant to this chapter is on appeal when the excluded person is apprehended, charged, or tried under this section; nor 2. That the excluded person entered or remained in the park pursuant to a permit that was issued in the name of another person either before or after the date of the exclusion notice. C. Any person convicted of this crime may be punished by a fine in any sum not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a term not to exceed three hundred sixty-four (364) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 124301, § 46, 2013; Ord. 118607 § 3, 1997.)

Seattle Mun. Code ch. 18.12, subch. VII, § 18.12.280 Discrimination prohibited

18.12.280 - Discrimination prohibited A. It is the policy of the City, in the exercise of its police powers for the protection of the public health, safety, and general welfare, and for the maintenance of peace and good government, to assure equal opportunity for full enjoyment and use of park facilities to all persons, free from restrictions because of race, color, sex, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, caste, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, participation in a Section 8 program, the presence of any disability, the use of a service animal by a disabled person, an individual's actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes as defined in Section 14.04.030, or the right of a mother to breastfeed her child. B. It is unlawful for any person occupying or using any park or recreation facility for any event, activity or exhibition open to the public, whether or not under a permit and whether or not an admission or entrance fee is charged, to deny to any other person the full use and enjoyment of such park and recreation facility because of race, creed, color, sex, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, age, religion, ancestry, caste, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, participation in a Section 8 program, the presence of any disability, the use of a service animal by a disabled person, an individual's actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes as defined in Section 14.04.030, or the right of a mother to breastfeed her child. In addition to other sanctions, the permit of any person who is convicted of a violation of this Section 18.12.280, for access or use of such park and recreation facility, may be canceled and, after notice and hearing, the Superintendent may order that such person shall not be eligible for any similar permit for access to, or use of, a park and/or recreation facility for a period up to three years. C. Where applicable, the terms "full enjoyment of" and "person" shall have the meanings in Section 14.06.020, as now or amended. D. Nothing in this Section 18.12.280 shall prohibit the exercise of constitutional liberties or the use of a bona fide qualification or restriction that does not infringe upon civil rights or civil liberties recognized by state law or City ordinance. (Ord. No. 126767, § 21, 2023; Ord. 126649, § 19, 2022; Ord. 126514, § 20, 2021; Ord. 119628, § 11, 1999; Ord. 113436, § 21, 1987; Ord. 106615, § 16, 1977.)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT18PARE_CH18.12PACO_SUBCHAPTER_VIIUSREFetched: 11/1/2026

Starting a business in Washington? Washington LLC guide: costs and requirements