Tacoma - Tygart Media

Category: Tacoma

Tacoma Business Journal coverage

  • I just moved to Tacoma: the checklist

    A Tacoma address is not automatically city utilities, Tacoma schools, or a Pierce County ballot at the new mailbox. Do these in the first week. Last checked August 29, 2026. Every line has a desk with the live number.

    Day one

    This week

    • School boundary is not the city limit — TPS desk.
    • Change the voter address on VoteWA — Elections desk.
    • License dogs, cats, pigs within 30 days — Pet license.
    • If you work from the house or rent rooms, ask Tax & License — Business license desk.
    • Tabs stay with a vehicle office; the photo license is a DOL appointment — DOL desk.
    • Get a library card — Library desk.

    When something breaks

    All of these sit on Tacoma, Washington.

  • DSHS and unemployment desk for Tacoma

    Food benefits and unemployment are different agencies. DSHS will not restart an ESD claim. Last checked August 29, 2026.

    DSHS — Basic Food, cash, Apple Health path

    Apply and report changes: WashingtonConnection.org
    Statewide customer service: 1-877-501-2233
    CSO hours are typically Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Eligibility interviews often stop earlier in the afternoon — do not arrive at 4:30 expecting a full intake.

    Pierce offices people actually use:

    • Pierce North CSO — 1967 S. State Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
    • Pierce South CSO — 1301 E. 72nd Street, Tacoma, WA 98404
    • Lakewood CSO — 5712 Main Street SW, Lakewood, WA 98499

    Bring ID, proof of income, proof of address. EBT replacement can start on Washington Connection or at a CSO / mobile CSO. Health coverage applications also live in Washington Healthplanfinder — different login than ESD.

    Unemployment — Employment Security

    File and certify: esd.wa.gov eServices
    Claims: 1-800-318-6022 · Relay 711
    Official contact: ESD contact

    Talk to an agent: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday 8 a.m.–noon only (that split was still posted August 2026). Automated weekly claims: Sunday 12:01 a.m. through Friday 4 p.m. Online claims run all week. First week eligible is a waiting week. File every week even while they decide.

    Phones die if you redial in a loop. Official advice: try the hour before close Tue–Thu, or Friday, and use eServices first.

  • Tacoma permit counter desk

    Planning and Development Services is not 311 and not Tax & License. Last checked August 29, 2026. The counter is only open four mornings.

    The desk

    747 Market Street, third floor, Tacoma, WA 98402
    Phone: (253) 591-5030 — Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
    Walk-in: Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Closed Friday at the counter.
    permits@tacoma.gov
    Apply and pay: Apply for permits
    Residential types: Residential permits

    Online system: Tacoma Permits / Accela. Portal help: 591-5030 option 8 or permitplandesk@cityoftacoma.org. Account errors: tacomapermits@cityoftacoma.org.

    What the counter will do

    Questions, help with an application, pick up, pay. Virtual meetings run 15–20 minutes and do not issue the permit. Inspections schedule inside Accela after the permit is live. TPU power and water connections are a different desk — TPU start-stop.

    Pre-approved ADU / DADU plans and the housing how-we-got-here: The DADU Thursday that already happened and Start a Business in Tacoma if the project is a storefront.

  • Pierce County elections and ballot desk

    Washington votes by mail. The useful move is VoteWA plus a drop box, not a last-day stamp. Last checked August 29, 2026. Drop-box count and vote-center pop-ups change each cycle — open the official map.

    Who to call

    Pierce County Elections: (253) 798-8683 (798-VOTE)
    Election Center: 2501 S. 35th Street, Suite C, Tacoma, WA 98409
    Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (extended hours near Election Day — they publish those)
    Auditor home: Auditor
    Replacement ballot how-to: Request a replacement
    Drop-box list: Text list of drop boxes

    Register, status, replacement

    Everything starts at VoteWA.gov. Register, change address, check whether the ballot was accepted, print a replacement. Online registration has a deadline before Election Day. In-person registration at a vote center runs through 8 p.m. Election Night.

    No ballot in the mail: call 798-8683 or print from VoteWA. Sign the oath. A signature that no longer matches will hold the ballot until you cure it.

    How to return it

    Pierce County has on the order of 57 official drop boxes, 24/7 during the voting period, including Tacoma spots at STAR Center, Hilltop, Wapato Park, 72nd St Transit Center, Soundview Building, and others on the county list. A ballot in an official box by 8 p.m. Election Day is on time. USPS postmark is not the same guarantee — the day you mail is not always the day they postmark.

    Libraries will point you to a box. Full voter services (new registration, first ballot) belong at a vote center with elections staff, not the reference desk.

    More Auditor: Pierce County desk.

  • Tacoma-Pierce County Health desk

    Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is birth certificates, restaurant complaints, septic, and some clinics. It is not the ER. Last checked August 29, 2026. Program hours inside the building are not the same as the lobby hours.

    Main campus

    3629 S. D Street, Tacoma, WA 98418 (use the Pacific Avenue lot)
    Main: (253) 649-1500 · toll-free (800) 330-1844 · TDD (253) 649-1400
    info@tpchd.org
    Building hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
    Contact · Hours

    The lines people actually need

    • Vital records (birth/death): (253) 649-1401 — same weekday hours; last Tuesday of the month opens at 9:30 a.m.
    • Environmental health: (253) 649-1420
    • Food and community safety: (253) 649-1417 · food-establishment plan review (253) 649-1706
    • Communicable disease (providers): (253) 649-1412, press 0 weekdays · 24-hour reporting (253) 649-1413
    • Public-health emergency / duty officer: (253) 649-1500
    • Key Peninsula office: Thursdays 11 a.m.–2 p.m., (253) 432-4948

    Clinic on D Street

    Official: Public Health Clinic. Walk-ins for listed services. Sexual health Monday–Friday 8–11:30 a.m. Opioid-use treatment Monday–Friday 5–11:30 a.m., Saturday 5–8:30 a.m. Those windows move. Call before you sit in the lot.

    Chest pain, stroke, overdose in progress: 911. Personal medical care: your own clinic.

  • Washington DOL desk for Tacoma: license vs tabs

    Two different counters. A Washington driver license office will not renew your tabs. A vehicle licensing office will not take your photo. Last checked August 29, 2026.

    Driver license and ID

    Statewide DOL: (360) 902-3900
    Appointments: dol.wa.gov/appointments
    Office list: Driver licensing offices

    Driver licensing offices are appointment-only. One person per appointment. Bring the document list for the service you booked — enhanced ID has a longer stack. Check in by text when they tell you to. Offices that run Tuesday–Saturday have different holiday closures than Monday–Friday offices. Do not trust a third-party “Tacoma DMV hours” page. Open the official locator the morning you go.

    Vehicle tabs and titles

    These are walk-in subagent offices. No DOL driver appointment. Official list: Vehicle licensing offices

    Pierce County Auditor vehicle line: (253) 798-3649 · 2401 S. 35th St., Room 200 · Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed noon–1 with the rest of Auditor). Appointments recommended for recording-adjacent work; tabs are usually walk-in.

    Other Pierce subagents (hours vary, some Saturday mornings): Parkland Auto Licensing, 215 Garfield St. S., (253) 537-3112; Tacoma License & Title in University Place, 2310 Mildred St. W., (253) 212-1954. Renewals can also run at secure.dol.wa.gov if the vehicle qualifies.

    County Auditor rest of the building: Pierce County desk.

  • Tacoma pet license desk

    If you live in Tacoma or Fircrest, dogs, cats, and pigs over eight weeks need a city license. Indoor cats count. New residents have 30 days. Last checked August 29, 2026. Fees in the table are the September 1, 2025 ordinance. Confirm before you pay.

    The desk

    Animal Control and Animal Licensing: (253) 627-PETS (7387)
    Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
    747 Market Street, Room 220 (some mail instructions still say Room 212 — the application PDF says 220)
    Site: Licensing fees · Apply path: Apply for a license

    Dogs wear the tag. Licensed microchipped cats do not have to wear it. One free replacement tag per year; extras $10. Late: $15 after 30 days past expiration, $25 after 60.

    Annual fees (city limits)

    • Altered dog $40 · altered cat $30 · altered pig $40
    • Unaltered dog or cat $175
    • Senior 65+, permanent disability, or current TPU Bill Credit Assistance: altered dog $10, altered cat $5, unaltered dog or cat $100
    • Potentially dangerous dog, first year $300, renewal $100

    Reduced rates for disability or TPU assistance cannot finish online. Phone or counter only, with proof. Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County and some vets can start the license when you adopt.

    Mail: City of Tacoma, 747 Market St., Room 220, Tacoma, WA 98402. Checks to City of Tacoma. Need rabies and spay/neuter proof for the altered rate.

    Animal complaints and bites go through 311 / Civic Desk, not this fee line.

  • Metro Parks Tacoma desk: centers, pools, customer service

    Metro Parks Tacoma is not City of Tacoma Parks inside 311. Different agency, different phone. Last checked August 29, 2026. Pool grids change by season. Center hours below are the July 1, 2026 set.

    Customer service

    Parks Tacoma HQ: 4702 S. 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
    Customer service: (253) 305-1030 — Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
    Financial assistance on a pass: same number; processing about three business days.
    Refunds on programs: (253) 305-1022
    Site: parkstacoma.gov · Customer page: Customer service

    Community centers (from July 1, 2026)

    Official notice: Community center hours. All four centers closed Sunday.

    • Center at Norpoint — Mon–Thu 5:30 a.m.–8 p.m. · Fri 5:30 a.m.–7 p.m. · Sat 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
    • Eastside Community Center — Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m. · (253) 404-3990 · 1721 E. 56th St.
    • People’s Center — Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–7 p.m. · Sat 9 a.m.–2 p.m. · (253) 404-3915 · 1602 MLK Jr Way
    • STAR Center — Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sat 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

    Pools

    Indoor pools closed Sundays under the same budget change. Outdoor pools are the Sunday option in season. Lap and lesson blocks are not the same as the building hours — open the current PDF on the center page before you put a suit in the bag.

    Park list and landscape: Parks in Tacoma guide.

  • Tacoma Public Library desk: cards, holds, fees

    Tacoma Public Library does not charge overdue fines. That is the fact agents get wrong. Last checked August 29, 2026. Branch hours differ. Use the location page, not a remembered grid.

    Call

    Main Branch / general account: (253) 280-2800 · info@tacomalibrary.org
    Locations and hours: tacomalibrary.org/locations
    Contact list: Contact

    Fern Hill (253) 280-2910 · Kobetich 280-2920 · Moore 280-2930 · Mottet 280-2950 · South Tacoma 280-2960 · Swasey 280-2970 · Wheelock 280-2980 · Northwest Room 280-2814 · Administration 280-2880.

    Holds, renewals, PIN

    Log in at tacomalibrary.org → My Account. Renew there, at a branch, or at (253) 280-2800. Physical items except museum passes and interlibrary loans renew up to three times. Exterior book drops are 24/7 at every location.

    PIN: new cards, you set it. Cards opened before 2026 default to the last four digits of the phone on file unless you changed it. Pathway Partnership (TPS student) default PIN is 1234 until changed.

    Fees — not overdue fines

    Official FAQ: Fines & Fees. No late fine. If an item is still out 81 days past due, it is billed as lost. Replacement can run up to $100 depending on the title. Pay in a branch (cash, check, card), at some self-checks, or online: My Account → Fees → Pay Fees (you log in a second time).

    Closures

    System holidays include New Year’s, MLK, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas. All locations close at 6 p.m. the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on December 31. Many branches are closed Sunday and Monday in a normal week. Confirm the branch page before you drive.

  • Tacoma transit desk: Pierce Transit, Link, ORCA

    Three agencies touch a Tacoma trip: Pierce Transit (bus), Sound Transit (Link and Sounder), ORCA (the card). Copilot mixes their phones. Last checked August 29, 2026. Routes change; use the trip planner for a time point.

    Pierce Transit

    Main: (253) 581-8000 · Toll-free: 1-800-562-8109 · Relay 711
    Contact

    Phone tree that matters:

    • Press 1 — SHUTTLE (paratransit): reservations, cancellations, eligibility, travel training
    • Press 2 — bus customer service. Then 1 for trip planning, 2 for ORCA

    Customer Service Center / Bus Shop
    505 E. 25th Street, Tacoma, WA 98421 (Tacoma Dome Station)
    Phone: 6:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
    Lobby: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
    Holiday hours slip. Passes, ORCA, most lost-and-found for Pierce Transit buses.

    Live detours also show in Transit app, Google Maps, and Apple Maps. Still call 581-8000 if the app is lying.

    Sound Transit — Link and Sounder

    Rider line: 1-888-889-6368 (TTY 711), Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
    soundtransit.org

    Link lost-and-found in Tacoma: Customer Service Center at Tacoma Dome Station (same 505 E. 25th shop). Sounder lost-and-found: 888-889-6368, Sounder option, then lost and found. Do not call 311 about a backpack on the train.

    ORCA

    Regional card line: 1-888-988-6722 · TTY 711 · Non-English: 800-823-9230
    Hours: Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
    myORCA.com and the myORCA app. Value loaded online can take up to 24 hours to hit the card. New cards by mail: several business days.

    Buy or reload in person at the Pierce Transit Bus Shop during lobby hours. Android can keep the card in Google Wallet.

    Longer route context: Tacoma Public Transit guide. City phones: Civic Desk.