Code Compliance Process

Reporting a Complaint

To report a complaint, fill out a City of Oak Harbor Complaint Form (PDF).

For additional information or questions on the City of Oak Harbor complaint form please contact us at 360-279-4516 or email Code Enforcement Complaint.

Forms can also be picked up at City Hall. Please include the specific violation, the exact street address where it is occurring, your name, and phone number in case the city has any questions or needs further information. You may request the information to be anonymous if you wish.

Code Compliance Process

The process outlined below is the general format used by Code Compliance staff to obtain compliance. This format may vary based on the severity of the violation. It is the goal of Code Enforcement to gain compliance, not punish the violators.

Step 1:

A code enforcement officer will conduct an initial investigation and determine whether or not there is a violation of the Oak Harbor Municipal Code or other applicable code regulations.

Step 2:

If a violation or regulation has been determined to be a violation of the Oak Harbor Municipal Code, a Code Compliance Officer will send a courtesy notice letter to the owner of the property and/or current tenant indicating the violation(s). The letter requests that the violation(s) be corrected within 10 days from the date of the letter.

Step 3:

If the violation(s) are not corrected as indicated in step 2 within the requested timeframe, a Notice of Violation letter will be sent via certified mail to the property owner and/or current tenant, indicating the violations are to be corrected within 10 days. The owner or occupant shall be deemed to be in receipt of the notice prescribed in this section three days after posting or mailing. The letter shall also outline the penalties for the violation(s) and shall be posted on the property by the code enforcement officer.

Step 4:

If the owner of the property or current tenant refuses to abate the same within the time limit set forth in the notice, such owner of the property or the current tenant or both shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and the code enforcement officer may issue a civil infraction. The civil infraction may be issued to the property owner or to the current tenant or both. The failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter is a civil offense as a class 1 infraction. The maximum penalty and default shall be $250. Each day of violation shall be a separate offense. The knowing or intentional failure or refusal to comply with an abatement order of a nuisance is a misdemeanor which shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for a maximum term fixed by the court of not more than 90 days, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of not more than $1,000, or by both such jail sentence and fine.