10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Marion County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Marion County's noise ordinance protects nighttime quiet between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sound that is plainly audible inside a neighbor's dwelling during those hours is unlawful in unincorporated areas. Incorporated cities like Salem apply their own code (SRC 93.010).
MCC 8.45.050(A)(2)
Is plainly audible at any time between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day within a dwelling unit that is not the source of the sound.
In Salem it is unlawful to construct, demolish, alter, excavate or repair buildings, streets or utility lines between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Marion County exempts daytime commercial construction from its dB table but bars nighttime construction noise.
SRC 93.020(d)
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 p.m. and 7 a.m. of the following day.
Salem sets a clear standard: it is unlawful to keep any dog that barks, cries or makes other sound on a frequent, repetitive or continuous basis for ten minutes or longer. Marion County treats persistent barking as a noise disturbance under MCC 8.45.
SRC 93.020(b)
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 blowers count as 'domestic power equipment.' In Salem it is unlawful to run them between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Marion County likewise bars domestic power tools that are plainly audible in a dwelling during nighttime hours.
SRC 93.020(c)
It shall be unlawful to operate, or to permit the operation of, any domestic power equipment between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. of the following day.
Salem bars any amplified device, stereo, speaker or instrument whose sound is plainly audible inside a neighbor's dwelling, business or school. In the county, plainly-audible amplified sound in a dwelling between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. is prohibited.
SRC 93.020(a)
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.
Marion County's noise ordinance does not regulate aircraft. MCC 8.45.080(K) exempts sounds regulated by federal and state law, including railroads and aircraft, so complaints go to the FAA, not the county.
MCC 8.45.080(K)
Sounds regulated by federal and state law, including but not limited to sounds caused by railroads and aircraft.
Inside the Salem-Keizer UGB, industrial sources may not exceed 70 dBA day / 65 dBA night at commercial or industrial receivers, and only 55 dBA at noise-sensitive homes. Impulse sound is capped at 100 dB day and 80 dB night.
MCC 8.45.060(E)(3)(a)
no person shall operate or permit the operation of a noise source which emits an impulse sound which has a peak sound pressure level in excess of 100 dB in the day or 80 dB in the night.
Outside the Salem-Keizer UGB, unincorporated Marion County caps sound at a neighbor's property line at 55 dBA at night (10 p.m.–7 a.m.) and 65 dBA daytime. Inside the UGB, a detailed table sets limits by land use.
MCC 8.45.050(A)(1)
exceeds: a. Fifty-five dBA at any time between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day; or b. Sixty-five dBA at any time between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. the same day.
In Salem, amplified sound audible 150 feet or more from the device on public property or a right-of-way is unlawful without written government authorization. Outdoor events may need a variance; permitted mass gatherings are exempt in the county.
SRC 93.020(a)(2)
On public property or a public right-of-way one hundred and fifty feet or more from such device, except as specifically authorized in writing by the city, county, state or federal government that owns or controls such property.
Idling an engine over ten consecutive minutes so it's plainly audible in a dwelling at night is unlawful in Salem. Dynamic (jake) braking is banned except to avoid danger, and loud exhaust is governed by ORS 815.250.
SRC 93.020(f)
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 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. of the following day.
1 cities in Marion County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Marion County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
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