Tag: tacoma

  • 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.

  • TPU outage and start-stop desk

    Tacoma Public Utilities is power and water. Garbage is Environmental Services. Last checked August 29, 2026.

    Power is out

    Downed line or pole you can see: 911 first. Stay away from it.

    Report and track:

    They will not give you a restore time on the first call. Crews update the map. Life-sustaining medical equipment: call Customer Service (253) 502-8600 before you need it and get the Healthcare Provider form on file so they can tag the meter and warn you on planned outages.

    Trees on lines: (253) 502-8729. Customer lobby hours for non-emergency: Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. · Contact

    Water emergency

    Leak, water outage, emergency turn on/off: (253) 502-8384. Track events on the TPU water map from the same Outages & Safety page.

    Start, stop, or transfer

    Official: Start/Stop Service

    • Residential: (253) 502-8600 — at least one business day ahead. MyAccount works only if the site is already live. Disconnected service has to be a phone call.
    • Business and property managers: (253) 502-8606 — they want about 30 days.
    • Have the address, start date, mailing address, and authorized contacts.
    • Connection fee: up to $21.60. Common deposits on the TPU page: house $200, water $75, due in 30 days.

    Sewer backup is not this desk. That is (253) 591-5585. Full city list: Civic Desk.

  • Tacoma business license and B&O desk

    A Washington Department of Revenue account is not a City of Tacoma business license. You can owe both. Last checked August 29, 2026.

    The desk

    Tax & License
    747 Market Street, Room 212, Tacoma, WA 98402
    Phone: (253) 591-5252 — Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
    In person: Monday–Wednesday. Office page lists 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; the payment page lists 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Do not arrive Thursday expecting a counter.
    Virtual Teams appointments: Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
    Official: Tax & License · New license: New businesses

    Apply or renew

    • Online: FileLocal-wa.gov — license, renewal, B&O. User fees apply. New applications: plan on 3–5 business days.
    • Phone pay: (253) 591-5252 automated line, city account number required. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex. English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean.
    • Mail: application to Tax & License; payments City of Tacoma, P.O. Box 11640, Tacoma, WA 98411-6640. Put the contract account number on the check. Mail applications: up to 15 business days.
    • Counter: Room 212. Payment due when you apply. After 4 p.m. they may take the packet and process it the next day. Metered parking on Market.

    Rentals of real property use a different application. Start on the rental-business page, not the general form.

    B&O

    File frequency follows estimated annual gross receipts. FileLocal calculates the return. Due dates that land on a weekend or holiday move to the next business day. Classification changes hit January 1, 2026 across Washington cities — use the current FileLocal categories, not an old paper schedule.

    General how-to on this site: Start a Business in Tacoma. City numbers: Civic Desk.

  • Tacoma Public Schools desk: calendar, boundaries, enrollment

    Living in the City of Tacoma does not automatically put a child in Tacoma Public Schools. Some city addresses sit in another district. Some TPS addresses sit outside the city line. Use the locator, not the water bill. Last checked August 29, 2026. The district PDF wins every argument.

    Who to call

    District switchboard: (253) 571-1000
    Enrollment Services: (253) 571-1142 · enrollmentservices@tacoma.k12.wa.us
    Central Administration (temporary): 3702 E. McKinley Ave., Tacoma, WA 98404
    Site: tacomaschools.org
    Enrollment help: Enrollment Help
    ParentVUE: ParentVUE

    Find the neighborhood school

    Official locator map: TPS School Locator. Type the home address. It returns elementary, middle, and high school. Screenshot it for Copilot or a move packet.

    Enroll or change schools

    New to TPS: create a ParentVUE account at tacomaschools.org/enroll, then start registration. Returning families need an activation code from Enrollment Services or the school office.

    Choice (a TPS school that is not the neighborhood school) for 2027–28: application in ParentVUE October 26, 2026 – January 15, 2027, including SAMI / SOTA / IDEA. School transfer window for that year opens June 1, 2027. Capacity decides. Families provide their own transportation. Student must live inside the TPS boundary.

    2026–27 dates families search

    Posted by TPS. Confirm on the current district calendar PDF before you buy flights.

    • First day, grades 1–12: September 9, 2026
    • First day, kindergarten / transition to K: September 14, 2026
    • Winter break: December 21, 2026 – January 1, 2027
    • Spring break: April 5–9, 2027
    • Last day: June 23, 2027

    Individual schools add early-release and conference days. ParentVUE and the school office are the last word for that building.

    City services: Tacoma Civic Desk. JBLM families: JBLM guide.

  • Tacoma dump and holiday garbage calendar

    Two searches: “Tacoma dump hours” and “why didn’t they take my can.” Same department. Last checked August 29, 2026. Fees change. Hours and holidays are the stable part.

    The dump

    Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center
    3510 S. Mullen Street, Tacoma, WA 98409
    (253) 502-2100 · solidwaste@tacoma.gov
    Open daily 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
    Closed New Year’s Day, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
    Official: Hours & Directions

    From I-5: exit 132 to SR-16, exit 1C Fircrest/Center Street, straight onto South Mullen.

    Bring a Tacoma driver license or a current city utility bill if you want the resident rate. No proof, non-city rate. Cover the load. Bag dusty material. Confirm today’s price on the city page before you drive a truck across town.

    Household Hazardous Waste (paint, chemicals, automotive fluids) is on the same site and is Friday–Monday only, 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Closed Tuesday–Thursday and the same four holidays. Recycle Center follows that Friday–Monday window.

    Admin lobby on site: Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

    Curbside schedule

    Garbage and recycling: every other week. Food/yard waste: the opposite week. Look up your house: Collection Schedule. The tool is for single-family and duplex. Apartments and commercial: call (253) 502-2100.

    The four collection holidays

    No pickup on:

    • New Year’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Thanksgiving Day
    • Christmas Day

    MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are not Solid Waste holidays. Cans go out on the normal day.

    If your pickup day falls on or after one of the four holidays in that same week, the route slides one day later that week only. Thursday becomes Friday. Friday becomes Saturday. Monday–Wednesday that week stay put if the holiday is later in the week. Do not memorize a grid. Open the Collection Schedule tool the Sunday before the holiday.

    Missed can or bulky item

    Missed pickup: 311 or (253) 591-5000, or Environmental Services (253) 502-2100, Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
    Call-2-Haul bulky: (253) 573-2468 · Call-2-Haul. Confirm the current fee when you book.

    More numbers: Tacoma Civic Desk.

  • Pay a Tacoma parking ticket

    A Tacoma parking ticket and a red-light or speed-camera citation both go to Tacoma Municipal Court, not 311 and not Pierce County District Court. Last checked August 29, 2026.

    The clock

    Respond within 30 days if the ticket was handed to you in person.
    Respond within 33 days if the notice came by mail.
    Read the back of the ticket. That is the legal menu.

    Pay

    Official how-to: Municipal Court payment options
    Parking guide (pay-ticket link lives here too): Parking in Tacoma

    • Online: Visa, Mastercard, or debit. No Apple Pay on the court page. Have the ticket or case number. If you do not have it, call first.
    • Mail: Check or money order payable to Tacoma Municipal Court. Put the ticket number on it. Mail to Tacoma Municipal Court, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 841, Tacoma, WA 98402.
    • Counter: County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Ave. S., 8th floor, Room 841. Cash, check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, debit. Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

    Phone: (253) 591-5357
    Phone hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m. They close the phones at lunch.

    The court will not call you and ask for a card number. Anyone who does is not the court.

    Contest or explain

    Two hearings. Official page: Traffic & Parking Infractions

    • Mitigation: you admit it happened and want the penalty looked at.
    • Contested: you say it was not you, or you have a defense. Unless you subpoena the officer, the judge uses the sworn statement.

    You cannot book a court date by phone. Sign the back of the ticket and mail it, or stand at Room 841. Hearings without the officer run weekday afternoons on Zoom. Hearings with the officer are Thursday afternoons on Zoom. Put a current mailing address on the request.

    Camera tickets only: a Declaration of Non-Responsibility form exists if you were not the driver. Do not pay until that paperwork comes back if you file it. People on Title 74 public assistance or WIC can ask for a 50% reduction on an automated-camera penalty — that is state law, not a courtesy.

    Paying for parking before you get a ticket

    As of July 20, 2026 the city lists ParkMobile, Passport, and text-to-pay on the signs. Older pages still say Flowbird. Use what the sign in front of the car says. Enter the plate. No receipt on the dash. Parking Services: (253) 591-5437.

    City desk: Tacoma Civic Desk. County courts: Pierce County desk.