Noise Ordinances in Kennewick, WA (2026)
8 verified noise ordinances for Kennewick, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Kennewick has not codified a single posted clock-hour quiet period. Instead, nighttime noise inside the city is controlled by the Washington Department of Ecology's environmental noise rule, WAC 173-60-040, which reduces the maximum permissible noise level at any Class A (residential) receiving property by 10 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The Kennewick Municipal Code's public-disturbance noise provisions, accessible through the Code Publishing portal, supply the local civil-infraction backstop.
Kennewick Nighttime Noise: WAC 173-60-040 Drops Residential Limit by 10 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Some RestrictionsConstruction Hours
Construction noise in Kennewick is exempt from the WAC 173-60 maximum environmental noise levels during daytime hours under WAC 173-60-050(4), but the exemption disappears between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. at any Class A (residential) receiving property. Outside that nighttime window, construction-equipment sound is also bounded by the Kennewick Municipal Code's general public-disturbance provisions and by site-specific conditions Kennewick may impose on a permit.
Construction Noise Exempt from WAC 173-60 Daytime but Not from 10 p.m.-7 a.m. Residential Cap
Some RestrictionsBarking Dogs
Persistent or habitual barking, howling, or other animal noise that disturbs the peace is regulated as a public-disturbance noise nuisance under the Kennewick Municipal Code's animal-control and public-peace chapters, accessible through the Code Publishing portal. Frequently repeated or continuous barking audible at the property line is a civil infraction; Kennewick Animal Control and Code Enforcement handle complaints and may require written complaints from multiple neighbors before pursuing a case.
Kennewick Barking Dogs: Public-Disturbance Animal Noise Under KMC + Civil Infraction Enforcement
Some RestrictionsLeaf Blower Rules
Kennewick has not codified a gas leaf blower ban, a decibel cap specific to leaf blowers, or restricted hours of operation. Use is governed by the general public-disturbance noise provisions of the Kennewick Municipal Code and by the statewide WAC 173-60 environmental noise standards, which lower the maximum permissible noise level at any residential receiving property by 10 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
No Kennewick Leaf Blower Ban or Decibel Cap; WAC 173-60 + General Public-Disturbance Rules Apply
Few RestrictionsAmplified Music & Events
Amplified music in Kennewick is regulated under the Kennewick Municipal Code's public-disturbance noise provisions, which treat amplified sound that is plainly audible at a neighboring property line, or which exceeds the WAC 173-60-040 maximum environmental noise levels, as a civil infraction. The standard is content-neutral under Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015), 576 U.S. 155, and applies equally to live bands, recorded music, public-address systems, and outdoor speakers at the Toyota Center entertainment district.
Kennewick Amplified Music: Audible-at-Property-Line Standard + Reed v. Gilbert Content Neutrality
Some RestrictionsAircraft Noise
Tri-Cities Airport (KPSC) is operated by the Port of Pasco and sits across the Columbia River in Franklin County, not Kennewick. Aircraft noise in Kennewick is comprehensively exempt from local and state environmental noise regulation under WAC 173-60-050(2), which excludes sounds originating from aircraft in flight and from flight operations at airports. Federal law (49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq.) and FAA Part 150 (14 C.F.R. Part 150) place noise compatibility planning under federal control, and field operations at PSC are managed by the Port of Pasco.
Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) Aircraft Noise: WAC 173-60-050(2) Exempts All Aircraft in Flight; FAA Part 150 Controls
Few RestrictionsIndustrial Noise
Industrial-source noise crossing into Kennewick residential neighborhoods is capped by WAC 173-60-040 at 60 dBA during the day and 50 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. at any Class A (residential) receiving property. The cap applies to facilities along Kennewick's industrial corridors and to operations adjacent to residential subdivisions. The Department of Ecology under RCW 70A.20 supplies the enforcement framework; the Benton Clean Air Agency separately handles air emissions but not noise.
Industrial Noise to Kennewick Residential Receivers: 60 dBA Daytime / 50 dBA Night (WAC 173-60-040)
Some RestrictionsVehicle Noise
Motor vehicle noise on Kennewick streets is governed by the statewide motor vehicle noise performance standards in WAC Chapter 173-62, which set in-use sound limits measured at 50 feet (72 dBA for autos/light trucks at 45 mph or less, 78 dBA for motorcycles at the same speed), and by RCW 46.37.390, which requires every motor vehicle to be equipped with a muffler in good working order and bars amplified or modified exhaust systems. The Kennewick Municipal Code's public-disturbance provisions also reach loud vehicle stereos audible at 50 feet.
Kennewick Vehicle Noise: WAC 173-62 dBA Caps + RCW 46.37.390 Muffler Rule + KMC Loud Stereo Provisions
Some RestrictionsLooking for Benton County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Kennewick city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Benton County →