How to file a noise complaint in Spokane

Last updated: October 21, 2026

Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Spokane acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Spokane noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (residential limits drop 10 dBA)
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Spokane Municipal Code (SMC)

Official text: Spokane Municipal Code (SMC), Title 10 "Regulation of Activities", Division V "Code Enforcement and Animal Regulations", Chapter 10.70 "Noise Control": 10.70.010 Declaration of Policy, 10.70.020 Findings of Special Conditions, 10.70.030 Definitions, 10.70.040 Exemptions, 10.70.050 Unlawful Sounds – Maximum Permissible Environmental Sound Levels and Prohibited Frequencies, 10.70.060 Identification of Environments, 10.70.070 Maximum Permissible Environmental Sound Levels, 10.70.080 Commercial Noise, 10.70.090 Public Disturbance Noise, 10.70.100 Entertainment Facilities, 10.70.110 Special Events Permits, 10.70.120 Noise Variance, 10.70.130 Affirmative Defense, 10.70.140 Violation – Penalty, 10.70.150 Violation Deemed a Nuisance, 10.70.160 Construction – Severability (ORD C36289 Section 5, passed and effective October 3, 2022; 10.70.040 by ORD C36440 Section 2, passed August 28, 2023, effective January 1, 2024; 10.70.070 and 10.70.080 by ORD C36835 Sections 6 and 7, passed February 9, 2026, effective March 19, 2026; 10.70.100 by ORD C36528 Section 6, passed June 24, 2024, effective August 2, 2024; 10.70.120 by ORD C36580 Section 1, passed October 7, 2024, effective November 14, 2024; 10.70.140 by ORD C36702 Section 28, passed July 14, 2025, effective August 24, 2025). The code's banner note says Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations, is located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74. Chapter 10.70 adopts the state maximum environmental noise levels and exemptions of WAC 173-60 (WAC 173-60-040 and 173-60-050, read on app.leg.wa.gov). Text read on the City's code site, my.spokanecity.org/smc, on 2026-10-21..

Where to file in Spokane

The City's Code Enforcement "Common Code Questions" page says: "Noise complaints should be made to the Police Department. During evening hours call Crime Check 509.456.2233. For any noise other than that made by a commercial business/machine, call Crime Check 509.456.2233. For Commercial Industrial machine noise file a complaint form online." The online code complaint form is on My Spokane 311 (https://myspokane311.my.site.com/citizen/s/?c__st=CECODECPNT); the same page says to contact My Spokane by dialing 311, or 509.755.CITY (2489) from outside city limits, lists codeenforcement@spokanecity.org, says "For any animal noise call SCRAPS at 509.477.2532.", and says noise variances are requested by calling 509.755.CITY (2489). The Police Department's page lists "Crime Check: 509.456.2233" and My Spokane 311, and carries a City news story of September 29, 2026, "Dial 311 instead of Crime Check in City of Spokane Limits", which says "Starting on October 27, people who live, work, and play in the City of Spokane will dial 3-1-1 instead of Crime Check" for non-emergency police and fire calls; the Code Enforcement page still names Crime Check. Under the code, public disturbance noise, entertainment facility and special event rules are enforced by the police department (10.70.090, 10.70.100, 10.70.110); the decibel limits by the Code Enforcement Department or Spokane Police (10.70.070(E)); and commercial and exterior electrical equipment noise by the Code Enforcement Department (10.70.080). Sources: https://my.spokanecity.org/codeenforcement/common-questions/, https://my.spokanecity.org/police/, https://my.spokanecity.org/news/stories/2026/09/29/dial-311-instead-of-crime-check-in-city-of-spokane-limits/.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-21. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard or 311 can redirect you.

Before you call

Log it. Date, start and end time, what the noise was and where you heard it from. Three dated entries carry more weight than one angry call.
Measure it if you can. Spokane sets measured limits, so a reading near the limit is direct evidence. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
Check the rule. Quiet hours in Spokane are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (residential limits drop 10 dBA). The Spokane noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
Try the source once. A neighbour, landlord or venue manager often fixes it faster than the city does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.

What happens after you file

Non-emergency noise reports are queued, not dispatched, so a first call rarely ends the noise that night. What it does is start a record against the address. Repeated reports, a dated log and a reading are what move a case from a warning to a citation. Where the city needs an officer to witness the noise, as most audibility rules require, file while it is happening rather than the next morning.

How loud is Spokane in general? The Spokane noise map shows the federal transportation-noise data for every neighbourhood, and the apartment quiet hours page compares every city's night rule.

Who do I call for a noise complaint in Spokane?

The City's Code Enforcement "Common Code Questions" page says: "Noise complaints should be made to the Police Department.

What are the quiet hours in Spokane?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (residential limits drop 10 dBA). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Spokane noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Spokane?

Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use 311 or the non-emergency police line; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.

What evidence helps a noise complaint in Spokane?

Spokane uses both decibel limits and audibility rules, so keep a dated log and take readings when you can; which rule applies depends on the source of the noise.

This page is a plain-language guide to the reporting route, not legal advice. Ordinances and contact numbers get amended; check the linked official sources before relying on a specific provision.