King County, Washington, United States

Places
1

King County is the most populous county in Washington and the 12th-most populous in the United States. Is it legal to wear a thong in King County?

:exclamation: The opinions provided here are for informational purposes only. Laws change frequently; this post may be out of date. Review current codes before wearing a thong and talk to a lawyer if you need legal advice. :balance_scale:

Washington :+1:

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 9A.88.010

King County :+1:

King County Code

Algona :no_entry_sign:

Algona Municipal Code 9.30.010

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E. “Unlawful public exposure” means:

  1. A public exposure of any portion of the human anus, buttocks or genitals;

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Auburn :+1:

Auburn City Code 9.82.010

Beaux Arts Village :+1:

Beaux Arts Village Municipal Code

Bellevue :+1:

Bellevue City Code 10.04

Black Diamond :+1:

Black Diamond Municipal Code 9.51

Bothell :+1:

Bothell Municipal Code 9.01.070

Burien :+1:

Burien Municipal Code 9.95.200

Carnation :+1:

Carnation Municipal Code 9.28.030

Clyde Hill :+1:

Clyde Hill Municipal Code 9.30.020

Covington :+1:

Covington Municipal Code 9.140.050

Des Moines :+1:

Des Moines Municipal Code 9.76.020

Duvall :+1:

Duvall Municipal Code 7.01.200

Enumclaw :no_entry_sign:

Enumclaw Municipal Code 9.54.030

A. It shall be unlawful for any person 10 years of age or older to recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally appear in a public place other than a public place provided or set apart for nudity, or to recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally cause or permit another person 10 years of age or older to appear in a public place other than a public place provided or set apart for nudity, in a state of nudity, which includes a state of dress or undress such that any of the following body parts or portions thereof are exposed to view or are covered with anything other than a full and opaque covering which completely covers all of the described area:

  1. The male or female genitals, pubic area, buttocks or anal cleavage.

  2. The nipple or areola of the female breast; and in addition at least one-half of that outside surface of the breast located below the top of the areola, which area shall be reasonably compact and contiguous to the areola.

B. Attire which is insufficient to comply with these requirements includes but it not limited to those items commonly known as G-strings, T-backs, dental floss, and thongs.

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Federal Way :no_entry_sign:

Federal Way Revised Code 6.45.025

(1) A person is guilty of lewd conduct if in a public place the person intentionally:

(a) Exposes any of the following body parts of the person without a full and opaque covering:

(i) Any part of the male or female genitals, pubic hair, pubic area, perineum, anus, or bottom one-half of the anal cleft;

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Hunts Point :+1:

Hunts Point Municipal Code 9.05.010

Issaquah :+1:

Issaquah Municipal Code 9.50.010

Kenmore :+1:

Kenmore Municipal Code 9.05.490

Kent :+1:

Kent Municipal Code 9.02.070

Kirkland :+1:

Kirkland Municipal Code 11.20.020

Lake Forest Park :+1:

Lake Forest Park Municipal Code 9.30.020

Maple Valley :+1:

Maple Valley Municipal Code 9.05.425

Medina :+1:

Medina Municipal Code 9.04.030

Mercer Island :+1:

Mercer Island Municipal Code 9.18.020

Milton :+1:

Milton Municipal Code 9.04.020

Newcastle :+1:

Newcastle Municipal Code 9.05.580

Normandy Park :+1:

Normandy Park Municipal Code 7.04.185

North Bend :+1:

North Bend Municipal Code 9.180.010

Pacific :+1:

Pacific Municipal Code 9.100.050

Redmond :no_entry_sign:

Redmond Municipal Code 9.38

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I. “Unlawful public exposure” means:

1.A public exposure of any portion of the human anus, buttocks or genitals;

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Renton :+1:

Renton Municipal Code 6-18-18

Sammamish :+1:

Sammamish Municipal Code 9.05.340

SeaTac :+1:

SeaTac Municipal Code 8.05.300

Seattle :+1:

Seattle Municipal Code 12A.09.020

Is nudity illegal?

It’s legal to be naked (anywhere) in Seattle

Shoreline :+1:

Shoreline Municipal Code 9.10.550

Skykomish :+1:

Skykomish Municipal Code 9.05.010

Snoqualmie :+1:

Snoqualmie Municipal Code 9.82.010

Tukwila :no_entry_sign:

Tukwila Municipal Code 8.50.030

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  1. “Indecent exposure” means showing, or making open to view, one’s genitals, pubic area, or buttocks, or the mature female breast;

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Woodinville :+1:

Woodinville Municipal Code 9.03.162

Yarrow Point :+1:

Yarrow Point Municipal Code 9.04.010

Thongs vs. G-Strings
2

Thank you for putting together such an extensive list of local laws. It’s greatly appreciated as I’m looking for more places to be able to wear my thong when swimming or catching rays. Interesting that Federal Way says it’s not legal…For what it’s worth I’ve been swimming laps at K.C.A.C. exclusively in a thong since the start of Covid 4-5 days a week without any issues at all. I don’t even bring a “back up” pair of briefs with me anymore. I’ve also heard that Redmond pool is thong friendly as well, but I haven’t been up there as it’s a bit of a drive for me and I’ve got 3 pools closer that are all thong friendly.

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Do you swim laps in a thong?
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I’m glad the information is useful, @Thonged4Life.

State/County/City codes usually regulate what’s allowed in public, which should be defined. The Federal Way Revised code defines a “public place” as the following.

“Public place” means an area generally visible to public view, and includes streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, automobiles (whether moving or not), and buildings open to the general public, including those which serve food or drink or provide entertainment, and the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings and the grounds enclosing them, and businesses contained in structures which can serve customers who remain in their vehicles by means of a drive-up window.

If I want to know whether or not it’s okay to wear a thong at a public beach, I’ll check the associated code. Public pools often have their own rules. I’ve seen city pools that prohibit thongs even though they are allowed at beaches. For example, thongs are not allowed at the Peter Kirk Pool in Kirkland even though they are permitted and commonplace at the city’s waterfront beaches.

Bathing suits must be family friendly, all thongs and revealing attire will not be permitted within the facility.

The Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center has a Federal Way address, but is operated by the county. King County likely owns the facility and the land it’s built on.

The Redmond Pool is owned by the city and operated by Wave Aquatics, a private company.

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Can you tell me which pools you wear thongs at? Now that summer is over I’d like to swim laps in my thong. I usually wear a brief but would like to switch. I live in Graham but work in Tacoma so K.C.A.C. Is a short drive from work. Any info would be helpful! Thanks!

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5

I’ve been wearing my thongs at K.C.A.C. Five days a week for probably the last three years with no issues at all. Mind you the ones I wear are solid color Desmitt. They are very plain and very conservative cut. Although they are thongs they’re very conservative. They’re not buldge. They’re not push-up or anything crazy and I definitely do not make a big deal about them. So far I’ve had no problems whatsoever.

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7

I wear bang clothes solid color thongs, which are very similar to the Desmit thongs. Solid dark colors, not see through etc. Maybe I should head up there and try KCAC as well. What time of day do you go?

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8

I did the 11:30-1:30 session.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been there this year at all. I was involved in a bad accident last November and I’m currently unable to swim at all so I have not been back. But I’m staying hopeful for my future.

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9

Yikes! I will keep you in prayer! That’s a terrible thing! I hope you get well soon!

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Much appreciated :slight_smile: unfortunately it’s gonna be a while. I got some nerve damage and some spinal damage. But if you go to my house and go in dresser, I still have quite a collection of thongs and hopefully someday I’ll be able to walk good enough again and be able to head to the beach and go tan in one. I hope your visit to KC AC goes well and you get to carry the torch for thonging in King County.

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11

That’s just terrible. Let me know if there’s anything that I can do for you. I have not been up there yet, if I go, it would be in the afternoon after work, so we’ll see how it goes. You say you swam laps in a thong there for a long time? Did you ever see anyone else doing the same?

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Did you ask permission to swim in a thong at KCAC or did you just go? Have you been to the one in Redmond? I went to 24 in Tacoma and they politely asked me to wear something else lol.

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I appreciate the offer, I let you know. Yeah I swam laps there for at least 2 years straight. Sadly I never saw anyone else in a thong. But I know for sure anyone who happened to be looking would have seen me in mine…. Like I’ve said, I didn’t hide. Most importantly I didn’t make a big deal about it. Take my pre swim shower, go walk out on deck, give the the guard my “pass” ( they give you a daily pass card you give to the lifeguard every day before you swim), pick a lane, swim at least an hr (alternating Brest,back,freestyle) then get out and go back to the locker room…. All acting same as if I has a normal “speedo” on. I’ve made several friends there. No issues at all with the thong. I bet mathe “regulars” are probably wondering where I’m at…

I did ask the head lifeguard if I could wear one. She said “yeah if you want to, you might get a few looks, but that’s their problem“ I have been told her that I just got to Arkansas from living in Florida so wearing thongs was nothing new to me so that’s what I had more of and if it was OK I would wear them. And I asked her is it against the rules. And she said no there is nothing in the world that she knew of that would prevent me from wearing one so the next day when I showed up to the pool, that’s what I had and I had no problems from anybody so that was all I were every day for the next two years and some change. No, I haven’t been to the pool in Redmond. But I have worn my thong at Fife Aquatic Center every time I’ve gone there to Swim labs since 2020 with no problems.

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The fife aquatic center is much closer to me than KCAC. I have thought about calling them to ask. Maybe I should just show up? Also, did you ask permission there as well?. I’m an excellent lap swimmer so like others have said, if I just act normally, things should be fine.