Noise Ordinances in Salem, OR (2026)
7 verified noise ordinances for Salem, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
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.
Salem Nighttime Noise Curfew Rules
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 93.020(c), (f), (g), (j)
(c)Domestic power equipment. It shall be unlawful to operate, or to permit the operation of, any domestic power equipment between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.(f)Idling engines on motor vehicles. It shall be unlawful to operate any idling engine for more than ten consecutive minutes in a manner that is plainly audible within any dwelling unit between the hours of 1...
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.
Salem Construction Noise Hour Limits
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 93.020(d)
(d)Construction or repair of buildings, streets, sidewalks, etc. It shall be unlawful to construct, demolish, alter, excavate, rehabilitate or repair any building, street, sidewalk, driveway, sewer, or utility line between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
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.
Salem Barking Dog Nuisance Rule
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 93.020(b)
(b)Dogs. It shall be unlawful to keep, or to permit the keeping of, any dog or dogs that create any bark, cry, or other sound on a frequent, repetitive or continuous basis for ten minutes or longer.
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.
Salem Leaf Blower and Yard Equipment Hours
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code §§ 93.005, 93.020(c)
Domestic power equipment means power tools or equipment, including, but not limited to, power hand tools, lawn mowers, power blowers, garden equipment and snow removal equipment, used for home or building repair, maintenance, landscaping, alteration or home manual arts projects. ... Domestic power equipment. It shall be unlawful to operate, or to permit the operation of, any domestic power equi...
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.
Salem Amplified Sound Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 93.020(a)
(a)Sound producing, amplifying or reproducing equipment. It shall be unlawful to operate or use, or to permit the operation or use of, any device that produces or amplifies sound, including, but not limited to, musical instruments, radios, televisions, stereos, compact disc players, tape recorders, amplifiers and loudspeakers, in such a manner that the sound produced thereby is plainly audible:...
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.
Salem Maximum Permissible Sound Levels
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code § 51.015(a)-(c) and Table 51-1
(a)General rule. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person who owns, controls or operates any sound source to cause or permit sound in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels set forth in Table 51-1 to be received on property other than property where the source is located without first obtaining an event sound permit issued pursuant to thi...
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.
Salem Vehicle Stereo, Brake and Repair Noise
Some RestrictionsSalem Revised Code §§ 93.020(a), (e), (g); 100.310
Sound producing, amplifying or reproducing equipment. It shall be unlawful to operate or use, or to permit the operation or use of, any device that produces or amplifies sound, including, but not limited to, musical instruments, radios, televisions, stereos, compact disc players, tape recorders, amplifiers and loudspeakers, in such a manner that the sound produced thereby is plainly audible... ...
Looking for Marion County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salem city rules.
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