Noise Ordinances in Yakima, WA (2026)
9 verified noise ordinances for Yakima, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Yakima does not publish numeric clock-time quiet hours in its own code; instead, YMC Chapter 6.04 (Offenses Against Public Order and Peace) makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly cause, permit, or allow to emanate from property any 'public disturbance noise' - defined as a sound which by its intensity, volume, frequency, duration or character unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of others. Where no local clock-time rule applies, WAC 173-60-040 imposes a Class A nighttime reduction of 10 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on residential receiving property.
Yakima Quiet Hours and Public Disturbance Noise
Some RestrictionsConstruction Hours
Yakima does not publish a clock-time construction-hours window in YMC Chapter 6.04. Construction noise is governed by the YMC 6.04 public-disturbance-noise standard (reasonableness) plus WAC 173-60-050's statewide exemption that exempts 'sounds originating from temporary construction sites as a result of construction activity' from environmental noise levels EXCEPT between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when the noise affects Class A (residential) receiving property. Routine daytime construction is therefore permitted; nighttime construction near residential parcels is the practical trigger.
Yakima Construction Hours
Few RestrictionsBarking Dogs
Yakima specifically codifies barking-dog enforcement in YMC 6.20.280: owners of any dog or dogs that bark, growl, yelp, howl or whine loud enough to be heard by neighbors for 15 minutes or more may receive an infraction punishable by a $250 fine. The standard requires declarations of probable cause from two separate households, or a recording of the behavior for the specified period. An affirmative defense applies if the noise was a response to intruders, trespassers, or persons entering near the owner's premises.
Yakima Barking Dogs and Animal Noise
Some RestrictionsLeaf Blower Rules
Yakima does not publish a leaf-blower-specific ordinance. Use of gas-powered and electric leaf blowers is governed by the general YMC 6.04 public-disturbance-noise reasonableness standard and, by reference, by WAC 173-60-040 Class A (residential) caps of 55 dBA day / 45 dBA night at the receiving property line. Washington State has not preempted local leaf-blower regulation, and Yakima has not adopted a gas-blower ban, registration program, or day-of-week / time-of-day restriction beyond the general standard.
Yakima Leaf Blower Rules
Few RestrictionsAmplified Music & Events
Yakima regulates amplified music through two layers. YMC Chapter 6.04 public-disturbance-noise standard applies to any amplified sound that by its intensity, volume, frequency, duration or character unreasonably disturbs others. For permitted outdoor events, the City of Yakima Special Event Permit Guidelines impose a hard cap of 95 dB measured at the property line over a sustained 10-minute period and limit outdoor music to between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (with exceptions approved by the City Manager).
Yakima Amplified Music and Sound-Magnifying Devices
Some RestrictionsAircraft Noise
Aircraft-in-flight noise is preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990. Yakima Air Terminal-McAllister Field (KYKM / YKM) is owned by the City of Yakima and Yakima County and located on the southwest edge of the city. YMC Chapter 6.04 does not regulate aircraft noise, and WAC 173-60-050 expressly exempts aircraft in flight and airport operations from state environmental noise levels. Complaints route to the Yakima Air Terminal administration, not to YPD.
Yakima Aircraft Noise (Yakima Air Terminal / McAllister Field KYKM)
Few RestrictionsIndustrial Noise
Industrial noise in Yakima is regulated through YMC Chapter 6.04 (public disturbance noise) layered with the WAC 173-60-040 Class C (industrial) source-to-receiving-class dBA matrix: industrial sources are capped at 70 dBA when received at another Class C parcel, 65 dBA at a Class B (commercial) parcel, and 60 dBA at a Class A (residential) parcel, with a 10 dBA reduction at residential receiving property between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Agricultural operations (frost fans, harvest equipment) receive an effective exemption through the WAC 173-60-050 framework.
Yakima Industrial Noise
Some RestrictionsDecibel Limits
Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 6.04 itself does NOT codify a numeric dBA cap - it operates on a reasonableness standard for 'public disturbance noise.' Numeric limits come from two other sources: (1) WAC 173-60-040 statewide Maximum Environmental Noise Levels imposing the 55/57/60 + 60/65/70 dBA source-to-receiving matrix with a 10 dBA Class A nighttime reduction, and (2) the City Special Event Permit Guidelines hard cap of 95 dB at the property line sustained over a 10-minute period.
Yakima Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Music
Outdoor music at Yakima venues - downtown Yakima Avenue, Millennium Plaza, State Fair Park (home of the Yakima Valley SunDome and Central Washington State Fair), and city parks - is regulated by YMC Chapter 6.04 (public disturbance noise) layered with the City of Yakima Special Event Permit Guidelines, which cap permitted-event sound at 95 dB at the property line sustained over 10 minutes and limit outdoor music to 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (with City Manager exceptions).
Yakima Outdoor Music and Downtown Events
Some RestrictionsLooking for Yakima County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Yakima city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Yakima County →