Noise ordinances › Seattle, WA

Seattle noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Quiet hours in Seattle

Seattle has no flat "quiet hours" ban. Instead, SMC 25.08.420.A cuts the numeric decibel limits by 10 dB(A) between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, and between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays, whenever the property receiving the noise sits in a residential district. That turns the 55 dB(A) residential-to-residential daytime limit into 45 dB(A) overnight. "Weekday" means any day Monday through Friday that is not a legal holiday (25.08.380); "weekend" means Saturday and Sunday (25.08.390); "legal holiday" is a closed list of seven days in 25.08.155 (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Day). Two sources are exempt from the night reduction entirely: existing stationary equipment used by a utility to convey water, and existing electrical substations (25.08.550). Three other night rules run in parallel. Amplified or unamplified human voice that is loud and raucous, and frequent, repetitive or continuous, is a public disturbance noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (25.08.500.E). Under 25.08.501.A a non-residential property (a bar or club) may not let amplified noise that is plainly audible inside a neighbour's dwelling unit escape between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. And a house party is a "residential disturbance" (25.08.225) if it runs between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and is audible 75 feet away. Construction is handled separately: 25.08.425.A does not ban construction outside set hours, it grants the decibel allowance in 25.08.425.B only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends and legal holidays inside Lowrise, Midrise, Highrise, Residential-Commercial and Neighborhood Commercial zones (extended to 10 p.m. for parking lot maintenance or public projects), and between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends and legal holidays in all other zones. Outside those windows construction equipment simply has to meet the ordinary 25.08.410/25.08.420 limits, night reduction included. Impact equipment such as pile drivers and jackhammers is confined to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends and legal holidays (25.08.425.C).

Decibel limits

Yes. Seattle has a genuine sound-meter standard. Table A for SMC 25.08.410 sets exterior limits as an Leq measured at the receiving property, and the number depends on the zoning district of BOTH the source and the receiver. From a residential district: 55 dB(A) into residential, 57 into commercial, 60 into industrial. From a commercial district: 57 into residential, 60 into commercial, 65 into industrial. From an industrial district: 60 into residential, 65 into commercial, 70 into industrial. A footnote raises the industrial-source limit to 70 dB(A) into both residential and commercial receiving districts where the source is inside the Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center (BINMIC) and within 200 feet of a shoreline. Measurement is a minimum one-minute Leq for a constant source or a one-hour measurement for a non-continuous source (25.08.410.A), and Lmax may exceed the table by no more than 15 dB(A) (25.08.410.B). Three adjustments apply: minus 10 dB(A) at night where the receiving property is residential (25.08.420.A); minus 5 dB(A) for a source with a pure tone component, except electrical substations (25.08.420.B); and minus 5 dB(A) for an impulsive source not measured with an impulse sound level meter (25.08.420.C). Where a receiving property straddles districts, the limit is set by the district in which the measurement is taken (25.08.700). Construction and maintenance equipment may exceed the table during the permitted hours by 25 dB(A) for construction-site equipment, 20 dB(A) for portable powered equipment, and 15 dB(A) for residential grounds equipment such as lawnmowers and leaf equipment, measured at the property line or 50 feet from the equipment, whichever is greater (25.08.425.B); the construction measurement standard is a one-hour Leq, which may be projected from a measurement of not less than one minute (25.08.425.D). Impact equipment is capped at Leq 90 dB(A) continuously, 93 dB(A) for 30 minutes, 96 dB(A) for 15 minutes, or 99 dB(A) for 7.5 minutes, with anything above 99 dB(A) prohibited unless a variance is granted (25.08.425.C). Separately, car and portable stereos are governed by an audibility test rather than a meter: clearly heard at 75 feet or more (25.08.515.A).

What the ordinance actually says

25.08.410.A — "The exterior sound level limits are based on the Leq during the measurement interval, using a minimum measurement interval of one minute for a constant sound source, or a one-hour measurement for a non-continuous sound source."

25.08.420.A — "Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. during weekdays, and between the hours of 10 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays, the exterior sound level limits established by Section 25.08.410 are reduced by 10 dB(A) where the receiving property lies within a residential district of the City."

25.08.400 — "It is unlawful for any person to cause sound, or for any person in possession of property to permit sound originating from such property, to intrude into the real property of another person whenever such sound exceeds the exterior sound level limits established by this subchapter."

25.08.410.B — "During a measurement interval, Lmax may exceed the exterior sound level limits shown in subsection 25.08.410.A by no more than 15 dB(A)."

Footnote 1 to Table A for 25.08.410 — "Except the sound level limit from a sound source that originates on property within the Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center (BINMIC) and is within 200 feet of a shoreline is 70 (dB(A)) (Leq) in both residential and commercial receiving property districts."

25.08.425.A.1 — "Within Lowrise, Midrise, Highrise, Residential-Commercial, and Neighborhood Commercial zones, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays, except that for parking lot maintenance or if the equipment is being used for a public project, then between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays and between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays."

25.08.425.A.2 — "Within all other zones, between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays."

25.08.425.C — "Sounds created by impact types of equipment, including but not limited to pavement breakers, piledrivers, jackhammers, sandblasting tools, or by other types of equipment that create impulse sound or impact sound or are used as impact equipment, as measured at the property line or 50 feet from the equipment, whichever is greater, may exceed the exterior sound level limits established in subsection 25.08.425.B in any one hour period between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays, but in no event may the sound level exceed the following:"

25.08.501.A — "It is unlawful for any person in possession of real property, other than residential property, to allow to originate from that property between the hours of ten (10:00) p.m. and seven (7:00) a.m. amplified noise that is plainly audible to a person of normal hearing when measured inside a receiving dwelling unit."

25.08.225 — "'Residential disturbance' means a gathering of more than one (1) person at a residential property located in a neighborhood residential or multifamily zone, as defined in SMC Section 23.84A.048 between the hours of ten o'clock (10:00) p.m. (eleven o'clock (11:00) p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights) and seven o'clock (7:00) a.m. at which noise associated with the gathering is frequent, repetitive or continuous and is audible to a person of normal hearing at a distance of seventy-five (75) feet or more from the property."

25.08.500.E — "Loud and raucous, and frequent, repetitive, or continuous sounds made by the amplified or unamplified human voice between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The content of the speech shall not be considered against any person in determining a violation of this subsection 25.08.500.E; and"

25.08.500 (opening) — "It is unlawful for any person knowingly to cause or make, or for any person in possession of property knowingly to allow or originate from the property, unreasonable noise which disturbs another, and to refuse or intentionally fail to cease the unreasonable noise when ordered to do so by a police officer or, in the case of noise described in subsection 25.08.500.A, when ordered to do so by any of the following: a police officer, an animal control officer, or, in the case of a pet daycare center as defined in Chapter 23.84A, any employee of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections authorized by the Director of that Department."

25.08.515.A.1 — "Sound from a motor vehicle audio system, such as a radio, tape player or compact disc player, which is operated at such a volume that it could be clearly heard by a person of normal hearing at a distance of seventy-five (75) feet or more from the vehicle itself; or"

25.08.100.A — "'Residential District' includes zones defined as residential zones and NC1 zones in Title 23."

25.08.700 — "Where a receiving property lies within more than one district, the exterior sound level limits shall be determined by the district within which the measurement is made."

25.08.550 — "The following sounds are exempt from the provisions of Section 25.08.420.A:" (A. utility water-conveyance stationary equipment; B. "Sounds created by existing electrical substations.")

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Seattle Municipal Code, Title 25 (Environmental Protection and Historic Preservation), Chapter 25.08, Noise Control. Key sections: 25.08.090 (dB(A)); 25.08.100 (Districts, which Title 23 zones count as residential, commercial, industrial); 25.08.155 / 25.08.380 / 25.08.390 (legal holiday, weekday, weekend definitions); 25.08.225 (residential disturbance, the house-party rule); 25.08.400 (unlawful sounds); 25.08.410 (exterior sound level limits, Table A, the decibel matrix); 25.08.420 (modifications: the 10 dB(A) night reduction, the 5 dB(A) pure-tone and impulsive reductions); 25.08.425 (construction and maintenance equipment: permitted hours, the +25/+20/+15 dB(A) allowances, impact-equipment caps, and the 25.08.425.F interior-commercial rule); 25.08.430 to 25.08.485 (motor vehicle and watercraft sound levels); 25.08.490 (public nuisance noise); 25.08.500 (public disturbance noises); 25.08.501 (nightlife disturbance, plainly audible inside a dwelling unit, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.); 25.08.505 and 25.08.508 (residential disturbance violation and chronic-violation abatement); 25.08.515 (car and portable audio, clearly heard at 75 feet); 25.08.520 (noise in public parks and places); 25.08.530 / 25.08.540 / 25.08.545 / 25.08.550 (exemptions at all times, during daytime hours, for aircraft testing, and from the nighttime reduction); Subchapter VII, 25.08.560 to 25.08.655 (variances); Subchapter VIII, 25.08.660 to 25.08.700 (administration and sound measurement); Subchapter IX, 25.08.710 onward (enforcement), including 25.08.900 (citation), 25.08.940 (contested case hearing) and 25.08.960 (citation penalty schedule).). Verified against the live code on 2026-08-11. Ordinances get amended — before acting on a specific provision, check the linked official code. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

How to file a noise complaint in Seattle

Route the complaint by noise type. Construction, maintenance and installed mechanical equipment noise, including the exterior sound level limits in 25.08.410, goes to the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) noise complaint line at (206) 615-0808 (Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tue/Thu 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), or through SDCI's online property or building complaint form at https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/codes/make-a-property-or-building-complaint. Public disturbance noise, meaning loud music, amplified sound, parties, horns, sirens, motor vehicles and watercraft, goes to the Seattle Police Department non-emergency line at (206) 625-5011; SDCI directs after-hours noise complaints there rather than to its own line. Barking dogs and other animal noise go to Animal Control at (206) 386-7387. Aircraft noise is outside the ordinance; SDCI points residents to the FAA low-flying aircraft line (800) 354-1940, Sea-Tac (206) 433-5393 or Boeing Field (206) 205-5242. One practical point: under 25.08.500 a public disturbance violation generally requires the person to refuse or intentionally fail to stop when ordered to do so by a police officer (or an animal control officer for animal noise), so an officer usually has to attend and give an order before a citation follows. The nightlife rule (25.08.501) and the residential-disturbance rule (25.08.505) carry no such order requirement.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Seattle. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

Several things make Seattle unusual. (1) The decibel limit is a matrix, not a single number: it depends on the zoning of the property the sound comes FROM as well as the zoning of the property it lands ON (Table A for 25.08.410), so the same noise can be legal or illegal depending on which side of a zone line each party sits. Where a receiving property spans more than one district, the limit is set by the district in which the measurement is made (25.08.700). (2) Neighborhood Commercial 1 (NC1) counts as a RESIDENTIAL district for noise purposes (25.08.100.A), while NC2 and NC3 are commercial, a fine distinction that changes the applicable number. (3) A named geographic carve-out: industrial sources inside the Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center within 200 feet of a shoreline get 70 dB(A) into residential and commercial receivers instead of 60/65. (4) Enforcement is split across three agencies, so calling the wrong one wastes the complaint: SDCI takes construction, maintenance and installed mechanical equipment noise, police take public disturbance noise, animal control takes barking. (5) Construction is not exempt, it is given a bounded allowance (+25/+20/+15 dB(A)) during listed hours, and impact equipment such as pile drivers has its own 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. window and absolute Leq caps; there is also an unusual reverse rule in 25.08.425.F barring construction equipment that exceeds the 25.08.410 limits measured INSIDE commercial-district buildings between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (6) The night reduction itself has exemptions: existing utility water-conveyance equipment and existing electrical substations are exempt from 25.08.420.A (25.08.550). (7) A chronic-nuisance ladder exists: three violations of the residential-disturbance rule at one property within twelve months makes the property a nuisance and lets the City Attorney bring an abatement action against the owner and/or tenants (25.08.508). (8) A variance regime runs through Subchapter VII, including temporary, technical, economic and major-public-project construction variances, so a legally noisy site may hold a permit. (9) Broad exemptions in 25.08.530 cover aircraft in flight and airport flight operations, fire alarms, safety relief devices, emergency work, natural phenomena, and alarms not sounding continuously for more than 30 minutes per incident; aircraft noise in particular sits outside the ordinance and is a state and federal matter. (10) A daytime-only exemption list in 25.08.540 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends and legal holidays) covers bells, chimes or carillons running no more than five minutes in any one hour, unamplified officially sanctioned parades, shooting ranges and blasting; aircraft testing and maintenance gets its own daytime exemption in 25.08.545. (11) Content neutrality is written into the code: the content of speech or sound may not be considered in finding a violation (25.08.500.E, 25.08.500.F, 25.08.515.C). (12) A Pike Place Market Historical District rule restricts loud amplified human voice between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. (25.08.500.F), a daytime restriction and the reverse of the usual pattern. (13) Anything specifically exempted from the exterior limits cannot be a public nuisance or public disturbance noise either (25.08.510). (14) Penalties are scheduled in 25.08.960: $150/$300/$600 for violations of 25.08.410, 25.08.420, 25.08.425.B or 25.08.425.F; $325/$650/$1,300 for impact-equipment violations of 25.08.425.C; and $1,000/$2,000/$2,000 for nightlife violations of 25.08.501, the heaviest first-offence fine in the chapter.

Document it before you report it

Seattle's limits are measured numbers, so a reading is direct evidence of how loud it really is. Take a quick reading with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser and records nothing — and check how loud your block is on the Seattle noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.