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Noise complaints › Tacoma
How to file a noise complaint in Tacoma
Tacoma FIRST 311 takes noise reports: dial 3-1-1 inside Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere, use the Tacoma FIRST 311 app for Android or Apple devices, or file online under "Report a Crime, Noise Complaint, Other Non-Emergency Police Services", whose categories include "Noise Complaint Request" (Department:…
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Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Tacoma acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.
| Quiet hours | 10 p.m. – 7 a.m.; construction limited 9 p.m. – 7 a.m. (to 9 a.m. weekends, federal holidays) |
|---|---|
| How it is enforced | Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others |
| Emergencies | 911 |
| Ordinance | Tacoma Municipal Code (TMC) |
Where to file in Tacoma
Tacoma FIRST 311 takes noise reports: dial 3-1-1 inside Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere, use the Tacoma FIRST 311 app for Android or Apple devices, or file online under "Report a Crime, Noise Complaint, Other Non-Emergency Police Services", whose categories include "Noise Complaint Request" (Department: Police), "Noise Complaint - Commercial and Building Concerns" and "Construction Noise Outside Allowable Hours" (both Department: Planning & Development (PDS-CC)), each with an estimated completion of 14 business days; the same section lists the "Tacoma Police Department Non-Emergency Phone Number: (253) 287-4455". The City's Regulatory Compliance page says Code Compliance "enforces the Noise Ordinance, Nuisance Code, and the Minimum Building and Structures Code" and handles regularly occurring noises such as air handlers and other machinery (Code Compliance: (253) 591-5049, CodeCompliance@tacoma.gov); "For in-progress noises related to disturbance of the peace, contact the Tacoma Police Department non-emergency line at (253) 287-4455"; and animal noise such as barking dogs is enforced by Animal Control at (253) 627-7387. The Animal Control barking-dog page says to report through Tacoma FIRST 311 ("Make a Request", then "Animal Issue"), call 311 from within city limits, or mail in a Barking Statement Form. Under the code, the Police Department and other City agencies designated by the Director may enforce Chapter 8.122 (8.122.020(D)), and animal-noise enforcement may be undertaken only on a written complaint from three or more affected persons (17.02.140(C)). Sources: https://tacoma.gov/services/tacoma-first-311-services/ and https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/planning-and-development-services/regulatory-compliance/ and https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/police/animal-control/barking-or-dangerous-dogs/.
From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-05. 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. Tacoma 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 Tacoma are 10 p.m. – 7 a.m.; construction limited 9 p.m. – 7 a.m. (to 9 a.m. weekends, federal holidays). The Tacoma 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 Tacoma in general? The Tacoma 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 Tacoma?
Tacoma FIRST 311 takes noise reports: dial 3-1-1 inside Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere, use the Tacoma FIRST 311 app for Android or Apple devices, or file online under "Report a Crime, Noise Complaint, Other Non-Emergency Police Services", whose categories include "Noise Complaint Request" (Department:…
What are the quiet hours in Tacoma?
10 p.m. – 7 a.m.; construction limited 9 p.m. – 7 a.m. (to 9 a.m. weekends, federal holidays). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Tacoma noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Tacoma?
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 Tacoma?
Tacoma 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.