Bellevue, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Amplified sound permit hours
- 8am-8pm Sun-Thu, 8am-10pm Fri-Sat
- Max amplified sound days
- 4 days per calendar week per site
- Class B daytime limit
- 57 dBA at receiving property
- Noise disturbance penalty
- $250 civil noise infraction
- Enforcing agency
- Bellevue Police Department
- Permit administrator
- Development Services Department
Summary
Bars and nightclubs in Bellevue are stationary noise sources under the city's general noise control chapter. Amplified sound (live bands, DJs) requires a sound amplification permit, and any noise audible 75 feet away or across a property line can trigger a $250 civil noise infraction.
A. All noise disturbances, defined in BCC 9.18.015 and not exempt under BCC 9.18.020, are prohibited at all times. The content of the sound will not be considered in determining a violation. The following acts are considered to be noise disturbances, if the noise is clearly audible across a real property boundary, or at least 75 feet from the source: 1. Operating or playing, or permitting the operating or playing of, any audio equipment, television set, musical instrument and similar device, whether portable or stationary or mounted on or within a motor vehicle... 5. Operating sound amplification equipment not in compliance with a permit issued pursuant to BCC 9.18.045A or a conditional use permit issued pursuant to Chapter 20.30B LUC
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
18 does not carve out a separate ordinance for bars and nightclubs; it regulates them the same as any other commercial noise source. 045A at least one week ahead of the event. m. m. 030. Commercial zones sit in Class B environmental designations for noise abatement (EDNA), with a daytime ceiling of 57 dBA rising to 65 dBA at night for sound reaching a Class B receiving property, and lower limits (55/57/60 dBA) if the sound crosses into an adjoining Class A residential EDNA. 030(C)(4). No permit means the venue is running amplified sound unlawfully the moment it is audible past the property line or 75 feet out.
Violations & Fines
A noise disturbance under BCC 9.18.040 or 9.18.042 is a civil noise infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW, and Bellevue Police can issue a citation carrying a $250.00 monetary penalty per BCC 9.18.050(B). Repeat violations tied to a sound amplification permit escalate: after a second consecutive repeat violation, the hearing examiner must bar new sound amplification permits for that same location or property for two years. Violating BCC 9.18.030 (maximum noise levels) is instead a civil violation under Chapter 1.18 BCC, and any violation of Chapter 9.18 can also be charged as a misdemeanor under BCC 9.18.050(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Bellevue bar need a permit to play live music or a DJ set?
What noise level is a Bellevue nightclub allowed to make?
What happens if a Bellevue bar gets repeated noise complaints?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
Compare Bellevue to another location·View the Washington noise from specific sources overview
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle bar & nightclub noise.