Port Townsend, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Historic district exemption hours
- 7:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- C-III zoned district only
- Enforcing agency
- Port Townsend Police Dept.
- First-offense fine
- $66
- Repeat fines
- $114, then $209
Summary
Music and amplified sound from bars in the historic downtown can run until 1 a.m.; elsewhere the general public-disturbance noise ban applies.
Within the historic commercial district (C-III) established pursuant to the city of Port Townsend zoning code, the following sounds shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.:
Sounds made by the human voice or voices, or use of a musical instrument, sound amplifier, or other device or combination of devices, capable of producing or reproducing sound, which emanate from any building or structure within the historic commercial district established pursuant to the city of Port Townsend zoning code.
D. Within property zoned M-II(A) (Boat Haven) and M-II(B) (Point Hudson), sound from work done on or associated with recreational, commercial and industrial vessels, floats, barges, or marine-related works projects, and from commercial and industrial businesses, between the hours of:
• Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; and
• Sunday and holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. “Holidays” are legal holidays as defined by RCW 1.16.050;
are exempt from enforcement as provided by the city-port memorandum of agreement dated June 3, 2003 (“city-port MOA”).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Port Townsend carves out its C-III historic commercial district, the downtown core where most bars and nightclubs sit, from the noise code between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m.: live music, sound amplifiers, and voices from a building or structure in that district are exempt during those hours. Outside that window, or outside the C-III district, a bar's music or crowd noise falls under the general public-disturbance noise ban and the adopted WAC 173-60 environmental noise limits, enforced by the police department after a citizen complaint and a warning.
Violations & Fines
Civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW: $66 first offense, $114 second within a year, $209 third within a year, after a police warning is ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a downtown Port Townsend bar play live music past midnight?
What happens to bar noise complaints outside downtown or after 1 a.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
Compare Port Townsend to another location·View the Washington noise from specific sources overview
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