Noise from Specific Sources in Tacoma, WA (2026)
3 verified noise from specific sources rules for Tacoma, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Tacoma caps commercial establishment music at a 6 dB(A)/dB(C) rise indoors nearby and bars audibility beyond 100 feet from the property line, under TMC § 8.122.080.
Tacoma Bar & Nightclub Music Noise Limit
Some RestrictionsTacoma Municipal Code § 8.122.080
No person shall make or cause or permit to be made or caused any music originating from or in connection with the operation of any commercial establishment or enterprise when the level of sound attributable to such music is plainly audible from a distance of at least 100 feet in any direction from the property line of the commercial establishment.
Generator Noise
Tacoma exempts portable and stand-by generators from its noise code entirely while running during a genuine power outage or natural disaster, under TMC § 8.122.140(O).
Tacoma Generator Noise Outage Exemption
Few RestrictionsTacoma Municipal Code § 8.122.140(O)
The operational performance standards established in this chapter shall not apply to any of the following noise sources: ... Sounds created by portable or stand-by generators during periods when there is no electrical service available from the primary supplier due to natural disaster or power outage.
Low-Frequency Bass Limits
A stereo or speaker whose bass carries 50 feet past its own property line breaks Tacoma's noise code: even without a decibel reading, plainly audible rhythmic bass alone is enough to cite.
Tacoma Bass Speaker Noise Limit
Some RestrictionsTacoma Municipal Code § 8.12.060(A)(3)
Any sound produced by a sound reproduction device (as that term is defined in Section 8.122.010) that is plainly audible (as that term is defined in Section 8.122.010 TMC) 50 feet from the source of the sound...
Looking for Pierce County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tacoma city rules.
Noise from Specific Sources in Pierce County →