Washington County, OR Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing standard
- 11-factor unreasonable-disturbance test
- Applies to
- unincorporated county only
- First-offense fine
- up to $500
- Repeat-offense fine
- up to $1,000 within 2 years
- Equipment seizure
- up to 7 days
- Relief option
- Type I/II variance, § 8.24.025
Summary
Washington County has no decibel limit for bars or nightclubs, but its general noise standard makes it unlawful to create sound that unreasonably disturbs a neighboring noise sensitive unit. Code enforcement weighs volume, timing and audibility case by case, and a citation can bring a fine up to $500.
It is unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued, any noise which unreasonably annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of any person of normal sensitivity in a noise sensitive unit. The standard which shall be utilized in determining whether a violation of the provisions of this chapter exists shall include, but not be limited to, the following: A.The volume of the noise;B.The intensity of the noise;C.Whether the nature of the noise is usual or unusual;D.Whether the origin of the noise is natural or unnatural;E.The volume and intensity of the background noise, if any;F.Whether the noise is plainly audible within a noise sensitive unit;G.The nature and zoning of the area within which the noise emanates;H.The density of the inhabitation of the area within which the noise emanates;I.The time of day or night the noise occurs;J.The duration of the noise;K.Whether the noise is recurrent, intermittent, or constant.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
24 of the Washington County Code governs unincorporated-area noise, and it does not single out taverns or music venues the way it does horns or construction equipment. 015 to include individual homes, apartments and trailers near a venue. Rather than a fixed decibel cap, the county applies an eleven-factor test: the volume and intensity of the noise, whether it is usual or unusual in nature and origin, the volume of background noise, whether the sound is "plainly audible" within a noise sensitive unit, the zoning and inhabitation density of the surrounding area, the time of day, the duration, and whether the noise is recurrent, intermittent or constant.
This means a bar operating in a denser residential pocket of unincorporated county faces a stricter practical standard than one on an isolated commercial strip. 025, submitting a processing fee and an analysis of projected sound levels and mitigation measures. This scope only reaches the unincorporated area; Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin and the county's other cities enforce their own separate noise codes for venues within city limits.
Violations & Fines
A county officer or private citizen may issue a citation under Section 8.24.060. A first conviction carries a fine of up to $500, and each day the noise continues is a separate offense. A repeat violation within two years of a prior conviction under this chapter raises the maximum fine to $1,000 under Section 8.24.080. Officers may also seize and hold amplifying equipment for up to seven days under Section 8.24.065 to abate an ongoing violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for bars in Washington County?
Does this rule apply inside Hillsboro or Beaverton?
Can a venue get permission for louder or later events?
What happens if a bar keeps violating the noise standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon noise from specific sources overview
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