Noise Ordinances in Spokane County, WA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Spokane County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Washington's Department of Ecology sets Spokane County's nighttime quiet hours under WAC 173-60-040: residential (Class A) properties get a mandatory 10 dBA cutback between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., on top of base daytime limits that run from 55 to 70 dBA depending on the zoning of the noise source and the receiving property. Brief spikes are allowed only within tight time-and-decibel tolerances.
Nighttime Noise Limits in Spokane County
Some RestrictionsWAC 173-60-040
(1) No person shall cause or permit noise to intrude into the property of another person which noise exceeds the maximum permissible noise levels set forth below in this section.(2)(a) The noise limitations established are as set forth in the following table after any applicable adjustments provided for herein are applied. EDNA of noise source to EDNA of receiving property: Class A to Class A, ...
Construction Hours
Unincorporated Spokane County exempts construction-site noise from its general noise-disturbance ban only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or at any hour if the work is more than 1,000 feet from an occupied residence, under SCC 6.12.020(c)(1). Quarrying, blasting, and forest harvesting get the identical window and distance test.
Construction Noise Hours in Spokane County
Some RestrictionsSCC 6.12.020(c)(1)
(c)The following shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 6.12.010 between the hours of seven a.m. and ten p.m., or when conducted beyond one thousand feet of any residence where human beings reside and sleep at any hour:(1)Sounds originating from temporary construction sites as a result of construction activity;(2)Sounds originating from forest harvesting and silvicultural activity;(3)So...
Barking Dogs
Unincorporated Spokane County makes it unlawful for a dog owner to let their dog howl, whine, or bark so as to unreasonably disturb a person or group of people. SCRAPS, the regional animal protection agency, enforces the rule as a civil infraction with escalating fines for repeat offenses.
Barking Dog Rules in Spokane County
Some RestrictionsSpokane County Code § 5.04.070(7)
The following dog control regulations are police regulations designed to protect public health and safety. The owner or keeper of a dog is strictly liable to control his or her dog(s) as required herein... The owner or keeper of a dog or dogs shall prevent said dog(s) from: ...(7)Howling, yelling, whining or barking or making other oral noises that unreasonably disturb a person or group of pers...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Unincorporated Spokane County outlaws sounds from a radio, television, musical instrument or sound amplifier that annoy or disturb a reasonable person of normal sensitivity under SCC 6.12.010. A violation is a misdemeanor: up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, or the county can instead issue a $50-per-day civil infraction heard in Spokane County District Court. Officially sanctioned parades and permitted assemblies are exempt.
Amplified Sound Rules in Unincorporated Spokane County
Some RestrictionsSCC 6.12.010(b)(1)
(a)It is unlawful for any person to make, continue, cause to be made, or to allow to originate from real property in the possession of said person, any sound which creates a noise disturbance.(b)For the purposes of this section, the following sounds are declared to be noise disturbances:(1)Sounds created by use of a radio, television set, musical instrument, sound amplifier or any other device ...
Aircraft Noise
New homes and other residential structures built inside Fairchild Air Force Base's Military Influence Area 3/4 must meet a hard interior-noise standard: forty-five decibels day/night average, achieved with certified sound-reduction construction under section 14.702A.530. The requirement follows the 70 and 75 Ldn contours mapped from FAA noise modeling and applies to remodels worth half or more of the structure's value, not just new construction.
Fairchild AFB Aircraft Noise Rules in Spokane County
Some RestrictionsSCC 14.702A.530
All structures or portions thereof subject to this regulation as specified in section 14.702A.520 shall be constructed with sound reduction features and materials to achieve a day/night average interior noise level of forty-five dB. Structures subject to the noise reduction level required in this section shall incorporate noise reduction features and materials as necessary to achieve an average...
Decibel Limits
Industrial and commercial noise reaching homes in Spokane County is governed by WAC 173-60. An industrial (Class C) source may emit up to 60 dBA at a residence, 65 dBA at commercial property, and 70 dBA at another industrial property, with a 10 dBA night reduction for residential receivers.
Industrial Noise Limits in Spokane County
Some RestrictionsWAC 173-60-040
Class C (industrial) source EDNA to Class A receiving: 60 dBA; to Class B receiving: 65; to Class C receiving: 70. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the noise limitations of the foregoing table shall be reduced by 10 dBA for receiving property within Class A EDNAs.
Vehicle Noise
Motor-vehicle noise in Spokane County is governed by statewide standards in WAC 173-62, not the county noise ordinance (SCC 6.12 exempts vehicles regulated by WAC 173-62). Cars under 10,000 lbs are capped at 72 dBA at 35 mph or less, measured at 50 feet.
Vehicle Noise Limits in Spokane County
Some RestrictionsWAC 173-62-030
Automobiles, light trucks and all other motor vehicles 10,000 pounds (4536 kg) GVWR or less: 45 mph (72 kph) or less - 72 dBA; over 45 mph (72 kph) - 78 dBA. Motorcycles: 45 mph (72 kph) or less - 78 dBA; over 45 mph (72 kph) - 82 dBA.
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