Salem's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Salem, Oregon, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

Salem bars amplified sound, including music from radios, stereos, and loudspeakers, that is plainly audible inside another dwelling, church, school, or business, or that carries 150 feet or more onto public property, under SRC 93.020(a). The rule applies at any hour and treats a qualifying violation as a noise disturbance per se, with no measured decibel reading required.

Key details: Prohibited: Amplified sound audible in another dwelling. Distance rule: Barred 150+ feet onto public property. Standard used: "Plainly audible," no decibel test needed. First offense: Infraction (SRC 93.990(a)). Repeat offense: Misdemeanor within 6 months (SRC 93.990(b)).

A first violation of the amplified-sound rule in SRC 93.020(a) is an infraction under SRC 93.990(a), and a court can order the violator to correct the problem in addition to any fine. A second or subsequent violation within six months of a prior conviction under SRC 93.010 or 93.020 is elevated to a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b).

Decibel Limits

Salem caps how much sound a business or industrial operation may send onto someone else's property under Table 51-1 of SRC 51.015: no more than 55 dBA by day and 50 dBA at night on a nearby home, school, or other noise-sensitive property, rising to 70 dBA by day and 65 dBA at night between commercial or industrial properties, with no maximum between two industrial properties. Exceeding the table without an event sound permit is unlawful.

Key details: Noise-sensitive receiver: 55 dBA day / 50 dBA night. Commercial/industrial receiver: 70 dBA day / 65 dBA night. Industrial-to-industrial: No maximum listed. Tolerance: 10 dBA over, up to 1 min/10 min. Measurement point: 25 ft from building or property line.

Exceeding the Table 51-1 decibel limits without a permit violates SRC 51.015 and is an infraction under SRC 51.100(a) and (c), with each day a separate violation and courts able to order correction. A sound source not covered elsewhere in SRC 93.020 that exceeds the table is also chargeable under SRC 93.020(k), and event sound permit holders who exceed their permit conditions face the same infraction plus a possible $250 civil penalty under SRC 51.100(f).

Vehicle Noise

Salem's noise code bars car stereos and amplifiers that are plainly audible inside a home or 150 feet onto public property, bans engine (Jake) brakes citywide except in emergencies, and bars vehicle repair or testing noise audible inside dwellings between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. A separate section, SRC 100.310, bans tire-squealing from rapid acceleration on any public street.

Key details: Stereo standard: Plainly audible in dwelling or 150+ ft on public property. Engine brakes: Banned citywide except imminent danger, SRC 93.020(e). Repair/testing noise: Barred 10 p.m.-7 a.m. if audible in a dwelling. Tire squeal: Unlawful under SRC 100.310 regardless of intent. First offense: Infraction; repeat within 6 months is a misdemeanor.

Violating the stereo, engine-brake or repair-noise subsections of SRC 93.020 is an infraction on a first offense under SRC 93.990(a), rising to a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b) for a second violation of SRC 93.020 within six months of a prior conviction. Tire-squealing under SRC 100.310 is an infraction under SRC 100.990(b), since the section is not among the misdemeanor-level offenses listed in SRC 100.990(a).

Leaf Blower Rules

Salem prohibits running leaf blowers and other domestic power equipment between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Salem Revised Code 93.020(c). The rule covers power blowers, lawn mowers, garden tools and snow-removal equipment regardless of fuel type, and applies citywide, not just in residential zones. Salem Police enforce it as a noise disturbance with escalating court penalties for repeat violations.

Key details: Restricted hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily. Covers: Power blowers, mowers, garden and snow equipment. Governing section: SRC 93.020(c), definition at SRC 93.005. First offense: Infraction, court may order correction. Repeat within 6 months: Misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b).

A first violation of SRC 93.020(c) is an infraction under SRC 93.990(a), and the Municipal Court may order the violator to correct the problem in addition to any fine. A second violation of SRC 93.020 or SRC 93.010 within six months of a prior conviction becomes a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b), a criminal-level offense rather than a citation.

Construction Hours

Salem bars construction, demolition, alteration, excavation, or repair of a building, street, sidewalk, driveway, sewer, or utility line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under SRC 93.020(d). The nighttime construction ban is enforced as a noise disturbance per se, so no decibel measurement is required to cite a contractor working past curfew.

Key details: Curfew: Construction barred 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Covers: Buildings, streets, sidewalks, sewers, utility lines. Applies to: Both public and private projects. Exemptions: Emergency repair; City/county/state improvements. Penalty: Infraction; misdemeanor if repeated in 6 months.

Construction, demolition, excavation, or repair work covered by SRC 93.020(d) performed between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is an infraction under SRC 93.990(a), unless it falls under a SRC 93.030 exemption such as emergency repair or City/county/state public-improvement work. A second violation of SRC 93.010 or 93.020 within six months of a prior conviction becomes a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b).

Barking Dogs

Salem makes it unlawful to keep a dog that barks, cries, or makes other sound on a frequent, repetitive, or continuous basis for ten minutes or longer, under SRC 93.020(b). The rule applies at any hour, is enforced as a noise disturbance per se, and the duty falls on whoever keeps or permits the keeping of the dog.

Key details: Trigger: Bark/cry 10+ minutes, frequent/repetitive/continuous. Who is liable: Whoever keeps or permits the dog. Time-of-day limit: None stated; applies any hour. First offense: Infraction (SRC 93.990(a)). Repeat offense: Misdemeanor within 6 months (SRC 93.990(b)).

Keeping or permitting a dog to bark, cry, or make other sound frequently, repetitively, or continuously for ten minutes or more violates SRC 93.020(b) and is charged as an infraction under SRC 93.990(a). A second violation of SRC 93.010 or 93.020 within six months of a prior conviction is elevated to a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b), and a court may order the violation corrected.

Quiet Hours

Beyond its construction-hours rule, Salem bars a set of everyday noise sources between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under SRC 93.020: domestic power equipment such as lawn mowers and power tools, idling vehicle engines running more than ten minutes, motor vehicle repair or testing, and pile drivers or similar heavy equipment. Each is enforced as its own noise disturbance per se.

Key details: Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Domestic power equipment: Barred overnight regardless of audibility. Idling engines: 10+ min audible in dwelling barred. Heavy equipment: Pile drivers etc. barred overnight. Exemptions: Emergencies, alarms, disaster repair (SRC 93.030).

Running domestic power equipment, letting a vehicle idle more than ten minutes audibly, repairing or testing a vehicle audibly, or operating pile drivers or similar heavy equipment between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. each violate SRC 93.020(c), (f), (g), or (j) and are infractions under SRC 93.990(a). A second violation of SRC 93.010 or 93.020 within six months of a prior conviction is a misdemeanor under SRC 93.990(b).

The Bottom Line

Salem's noise ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Salem is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Salem's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.