Noise Ordinances in Marion County, OR (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Marion County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
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).
Marion County Quiet Hours (10 p.m.–7 a.m.)
Some RestrictionsMCC 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.
Construction Hours
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.
Construction Noise Banned 10 p.m.–7 a.m.
Some RestrictionsSRC 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.
Barking Dogs
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.
Barking Dogs: 10-Minute Rule in Salem
Some RestrictionsSRC 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 Blower Rules
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.
Leaf Blowers & Power Equipment Hours
Some RestrictionsSRC 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.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
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.
Outdoor & Public-Space Amplified Sound
Some RestrictionsSRC 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.
Aircraft Noise
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.
Aircraft Noise Is Federally Regulated
Some RestrictionsMCC 8.45.080(K)
Sounds regulated by federal and state law, including but not limited to sounds caused by railroads and aircraft.
Decibel Limits
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.
Industrial & Impulse Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsMCC 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.
Vehicle Noise
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.
Vehicle Noise, Idling & Jake Brakes
Some RestrictionsSRC 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.
Noise Ordinances by City in Marion County
1 cities in Marion County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Marion County ordinances
See every category we cover for Marion County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
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