No, sleeping on a refrigerator in your Washington backyard is not illegal under state law. Washington’s statutes, like RCW 9.03, target abandoned refrigeration equipment left accessible to children without door/latch removal to prevent suffocation, not sleeping atop one.​
Relevant Laws
RCW 9.03.010 criminalizes discarding unused refrigerators (1.5+ cubic feet) with intact latches in child-accessible places as a misdemeanor.​
Property owners must ensure such appliances on their premises have doors secured or removed; violations apply to owners/lessees, not sleepers.​
No provision bans sleeping on refrigerators outdoors; urban myths confuse this with Pittsburgh ordinances on restaurant hygiene.​
Local Considerations
Backyard nuisances fall under city/county codes (e.g., zoning for appliances, noise), but sleeping itself isn’t prohibited statewide.​
Safety risks like instability or weather aren’t legally barred unless creating hazards for others.
Federal Refrigerator Safety Act (1956) influenced latches but doesn’t address this scenario.
