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Travelling Around Seattle with a Dog
🇺🇸Seattle, United States·Updated 30 July 2026
Seattle is one of the easier American cities for a large dog, because King County Metro buses take a leashed dog of any size, on the floor at your feet, for the price of a second fare. The regional operator, Sound Transit, is the complication: its published rules still limit pets to small carriers, even though its board voted in 2025 to open Link light rail, Sounder and ST Express to leashed dogs free of charge and staff have been drafting the new rules since. Check the Sound Transit website on the day you travel rather than trusting a guide, including this one. The genuinely new thing in 2026 is the ferry: since 1 July, Washington State Ferries lets a harnessed dog into marked areas inside the passenger cabin, which turns a Puget Sound crossing into a real day out.
| Mode | Policy | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| King County Metro buses and streetcars | A leashed dog of any size may travel. A small dog that stays on your lap rides free; for every other dog a fare has to be paid, which in practice means buying a second adult fare. The dog must stay on the floor at your feet without blocking the aisle, or on your lap, and may not occupy a seat. Animals other than dogs are only allowed in a carrier, and no fare is charged for them. Under the code of conduct, letting an animal take a seat, run loose without a leash, unreasonably disturb other riders or leave waste carries a civil penalty of up to 250 dollars. | 💡 Board through the front door, tell the driver you are paying a second fare for the dog, and take a seat near the front where the floor space is widest. Metro is the backbone of a car-free trip with a big dog. |
| Sound Transit: Link light rail, Sounder and ST Express | The rules published by Sound Transit still say that pets may ride only if they are carried in small containers, and that service animals under the control of their handler are welcome at all times. In July 2025 the board voted unanimously to allow leashed dogs on Link light rail, Sounder and ST Express free of charge, prompted by the new Marymoor Village Station beside a forty-acre off-leash park, and directed staff to write the operating rules. That drafting work was still in progress at the time of writing, so a large dog is not yet guaranteed a legal ride on Link. | 💡 Read the Sound Transit rules page the morning you travel. Until the new policy is published, plan a big dog's journeys on Metro buses, which already accept any size, and keep Link for a dog that genuinely fits in a carrier. |
| Washington State Ferries | An updated pet policy took effect on 1 July 2026, after a six-week education period that began on 20 May. Pets are allowed on the vehicle decks, in outdoor passenger areas and in marked areas inside the cabin, at the end of the vessel opposite the galley. They are not allowed in the galley or on passenger seats and tables, and you may cross a restricted galley area only by the most direct route without stopping. A dog has to be in a harness or a crate however well trained it is; a large dog stays on the floor while a small one may sit on a lap or in a carrier. Service animals are allowed in all areas as the law requires. If a pet is not under control or is not cleaned up after, the crew may send it to the vehicle deck or outside. Passengers with pets may board from inside the terminal where overhead loading is in place, which includes Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Edmonds and Kingston. | 💡 The Seattle to Bainbridge Island crossing takes about 35 minutes and is the classic dog day trip: walk on from Colman Dock, sit in the marked pet area or out on deck, and walk into Winslow at the other end. Pet waste stations are being added at the terminals. |
Arriving in Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) sits about 22 km south of downtown and is the gateway for nearly every long-haul arrival. Pets must stay in their carriers throughout the Main Terminal, with only service and assistance animals exempt, so a large dog comes out of the crate at the kerb rather than in the concourse. The airport has an unusually good set of relief areas: indoor ones after security in Concourse A near gate A10, in Concourse D by the restrooms near D1, at the SEA Underground stations on Concourses S, N and B, and on the mezzanine of the International Arrivals Facility inside the US Customs area, plus four outdoor areas outside the Main Terminal before security. Link light rail runs from the airport to downtown, but until Sound Transit publishes its new dog rules a large dog cannot legally use it, so budget for a taxi or a ride-hail that accepts pets. Arriving by train, Amtrak Cascades and the Coast Starlight come into King Street Station on the edge of the International District, a short walk from the ferry terminal.
Trains beyond the city
Amtrak Cascades links Seattle with Portland and Vancouver and does accept pets, but only small ones: the dog or cat plus its carrier must weigh no more than 20 pounds, roughly 9 kg, the carrier may measure no more than 19 by 14 by 10.5 inches, and no booked journey may exceed seven hours. The carrier travels on the floor in front of the seat beside you. That rules out a medium or large dog on the train, so a road trip down the I-5 or up to the border is usually the practical answer for a bigger animal. Inside the region, King County Metro buses reach almost everywhere a visitor wants to go with a dog, including West Seattle and Ballard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a large dog on public transport in Seattle?
On King County Metro buses, yes: a leashed dog of any size may travel on the floor at your feet, and you pay a second fare for it. On Sound Transit's Link light rail the published rule is still small carriers only, even though the board voted in 2025 to admit leashed dogs free once new rules are written, so check the Sound Transit site on the day.
Can dogs travel on the Washington State Ferries?
Yes, and since 1 July 2026 they can come inside. Pets are allowed on vehicle decks, in outdoor passenger areas and in marked areas inside the cabin at the end away from the galley. A dog must be in a harness or crate, large dogs stay on the floor, and no animal may sit on a seat or a table.
Does my dog need a ticket in Seattle?
On Metro a small dog on your lap is free and any other dog needs a paid fare, effectively a second adult ticket. Sound Transit's 2025 board decision was for dogs to ride free, but that policy still has to be published before you can rely on it.
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