Noise ordinances › Spokane, WA

Spokane noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 21, 2026

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Quiet hours in Spokane

The decibel limits for residential (Class A EDNA) receiving property are reduced by 10 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (10.70.070(B)(1)); the commercial and industrial limits have no night band. A person or performer on public property or a public right-of-way creating sound, amplified or unamplified, that is plainly audible across a real property boundary which is not the source between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or plainly audible one hundred feet or more from the source between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., is making public disturbance noise (10.70.090(C)). Public disturbance noises from private property (horns and alarms, vehicle repair or testing, audio equipment, musical instruments, band sessions, social gatherings, vehicle audio, fireworks without a permit) are prohibited at all times (10.70.090(B)). Construction: the chapter has no construction-hours section. It exempts the sounds listed in WAC 173-60-050 unless the chapter specially prohibits them (10.70.040(A)), and that state rule exempts sounds from temporary construction sites from the WAC 173-60-040 limits except for noise received in Class A EDNAs between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (WAC 173-60-050(3)(a)), and exempts sounds from residential property relating to temporary projects for the maintenance or repair of homes, grounds and appurtenances, blasting, and the installation or repair of essential utility services between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (WAC 173-60-050(1)). The code sets no separate weekend or holiday hours. The City's Code Enforcement FAQ states: "The quiet hours are 10pm to 7am, except noise restrictions apply all hours to live music and DJ systems."

Decibel limits

Yes, numeric limits. It is unlawful to cause or permit sound, or for a person in possession or control of property to permit sound to intrude into the real property of another, whenever it exceeds the chapter's maximum permissible sound levels, and noise violations not otherwise identified in the chapter are subject to the limits of 10.70.050 through 10.70.080 (10.70.050(A)). SMC 10.70.070(A) adopts the maximum permissible exterior sound levels of WAC 173-60 and prints the table, by the EDNA of the noise source and of the receiving property: a Class A (residential) source may produce 55 dBA at a Class A receiver, 57 at Class B and 60 at Class C; a Class B (commercial, office, retail) source 57, 60 and 65; a Class C (industrial) source 60, 65 and 70. The limits are reduced by ten dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. for Class A receiving property, and for any receiving property at any time may be exceeded by 5 dBA for fifteen minutes (L08), 10 dBA for five minutes (L02) or 15 dBA for one and a half minutes (Lmax) in any one-hour period (10.70.070(B)). Where a receiving property lies in more than one EDNA, the most noise-sensitive zone governs (C), and the point of measurement is the property boundary of the receiving property (D); the enforcing authority is the Code Enforcement Department or Spokane Police (E). EDNAs follow zoning (10.70.060): Class A covers RA, RSF, RTF, RMF and RHD; Class B covers O, OR, NR, NMU, CB, GC, CC1-CC4 and CBD-1 to CBD-6; Class C covers LI, HI and PI. Commercial noise and exterior electrical equipment noise (including equipment used for heating and cooling of buildings) are subject to the 10.70.070 limits, enforced by the Code Enforcement Department (10.70.080, 10.70.030). Sound levels are A-weighted readings on a sound level meter meeting ANSI S1.4-1983 (R2006) / S1.4A-1985 (R2006), or as amended (10.70.030). Frequencies: a mosquito device (17 kHz or above) may not be used if audible in any public space or right of way, and a device generating 8 kHz to 17 kHz may not be audible there for longer than five minutes in any one-hour period (10.70.050(B)). Rules with no meter: public disturbance noise plainly audible across a real property boundary or fifty feet from the source, whichever is less (10.70.090(B)); sound on public property plainly audible across a property boundary at night or one hundred feet away by day, where the enforcing authority also uses building vibration such as rattling windows, the content of the sound such as heavy bass frequencies, the background sound level, the duration and the location and time of day (10.70.090(C)); and entertainment and amusement facilities permitted for indoor entertainment may not allow sound plainly audible to a person of normal sensitivities fifty feet from the establishment, and those permitted for outdoor entertainment more than one hundred feet from the facility (10.70.100). "Plainly audible" means any of the content of a sound, such as comprehensible musical rhythms, is communicated to a person using unaided hearing; detecting any component of the sound, including the rhythmic bass, is sufficient, and it is not necessary to identify the title, words or artist (10.70.030).

What the ordinance actually says

SMC 10.70.070(A): "For sound sources located within the city, no sound is permitted to exceed the maximum permissible exterior sound levels established by WAC 173-60. Maximum permissible sound levels are as follows:"

SMC 10.70.070(B)(1): "Reduce by ten dBA between the hours of ten p.m. to seven a.m. for receiving property in Class A EDNAs; and"

SMC 10.70.090(A): "It is unlawful for any person to knowingly cause or permit sound that is a public disturbance noise defined in SMC 10.70.030(Q) and refuse or intentionally fail to cease the noise when ordered to do so by a law enforcement officer."

SMC 10.70.090(B): "Unless provided for in subsection (3), public disturbance noises originating from real or personal property possessed or controlled by the person causing or permitting the public disturbance noise are prohibited at all times unless otherwise specified, and include but are not limited to the following sounds if the sound is plainly audible across a real property boundary, or fifty feet from the source, whichever is less:"

SMC 10.70.040(A): "The City exempts from the provisions of this chapter those sounds set forth in WAC 173-60-050 unless otherwise specially prohibited under this chapter."

SMC 10.70.140(A): "A first violation of this chapter civil infraction. A third violation within a one-year period shall be a misdemeanor."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified 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.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-21. 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 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/.

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

Worth knowing

Notable quirks: (1) Warning first: a public disturbance noise is unlawful only when the person refuses or intentionally fails to stop after a law enforcement officer orders it (10.70.090(A)), and no one may be cited under the chapter unless first notified by a law or code enforcement officer that the conduct violates it, given an opportunity to comply, and has refused (10.70.140(B)); the police department must develop a policy or standard operating procedure on repeated filings of unfounded complaints by a single individual (10.70.090(A)). (2) Content: 10.70.090(A) says "The content of the sound will not be considered in determining any violation of this chapter", yet the daytime test for sound on public property lists "the content of the sound, such as heavy bass frequencies" among the criteria (10.70.090(C)). (3) Penalty text as published: "A first violation of this chapter civil infraction. A third violation within a one-year period shall be a misdemeanor." The section omits a verb, does not say how a second violation is treated, and states no fine amounts (10.70.140(A)). (4) A violation of 10.70.050, 10.70.070 or 10.70.090 is a nuisance, and any individual harmed may file a civil action for abatement under chapter 7.48 RCW (10.70.150). (5) Construction has no city hours: it rides on the state exemption, so construction-site noise is exempt from the decibel table except when received at residential property from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (10.70.040(A); WAC 173-60-050(3)(a)). Other state exemptions adopted the same way include motor vehicles when regulated by chapter 173-62 WAC, aircraft in flight, interstate rail, warning devices not operating continuously for more than five minutes, bells, chimes and carillons, emergency equipment, officially sanctioned parades and public events, and natural phenomena and unamplified human voices (WAC 173-60-050(4)). (6) City exemptions: activities with a special event permit under chapter 10.39 SMC that meet 10.70.110, sounds from the official operation of public safety emergency equipment, and solid waste collection activities per SMC 13.02.0310 (10.70.040(B)-(C)); special-event sound must be inherent in the permitted activities and within the location, times and sound levels in the application (10.70.110). (7) Mosquito devices (17 kHz and above) are banned if audible in any public space or right of way, and 8 to 17 kHz devices are limited to five minutes in any hour (10.70.050(B)). (8) Variances: apply to the director of public works and utilities at least seven days ahead, explaining the nature, source and duration of the noise, the time period, the public benefit (for example high heat avoidance or a significant reduction in traffic impacts) and mitigating conditions; variances are not available for concerts, permitted special events, entertainment facilities or private activities such as weddings and parties; the written variance must be posted in a viewable area or carried, and the director's decision may be appealed to the hearing examiner within ten days (10.70.120). The City's FAQ instead describes variances as "for large community-oriented events that are unable to meet the noise restrictions" and says they "must be applied for at least 5 business days prior to the event". (9) Acting within the terms of a variance, a special events permit or another City permit is an affirmative defense to a charge under the chapter (10.70.130). (10) Permitted indoor entertainment and amusement facilities must keep doors closed during business hours except for ingress and egress (10.70.100(B)). (11) Cross-reference slips in the published text: 10.70.090(B) opens "Unless provided for in subsection (3)" although the section's subsections are lettered, and the dBA definition cites ANSI "S.14A-1985" where the sound level meter definition cites "S1.4A-1985" (10.70.030). (12) Findings say special conditions in the City make necessary any differences from the Washington State department of ecology regulations (10.70.020), and more restrictive provisions elsewhere in the SMC are enforced (10.70.160(B)). (13) The City's Code Enforcement FAQ sends barking and other animal noise to SCRAPS at 509.477.2532.

Document it before you report it

Spokane'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 Spokane noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.