Seattle, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Standard
- Amplified sound plainly audible inside dwelling
- First step
- Written warning required before citation
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,300 per day
- Response deadline
- 15 days to Hearing Examiner
- Enforcing agency
- SDCI Noise Administrator
Summary
Bars, clubs and other non-residential properties in Seattle cannot let amplified sound carry into a neighbor's home overnight. SMC 25.08.501 bans amplified noise plainly audible inside a receiving dwelling unit between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., enforced by SDCI's Noise Administrator with a warning first, then citations and civil penalties.
A. It is unlawful for any person in possession of real property, other than residential property, to allow to originate from that property between the hours of ten (10:00) p.m. and seven (7:00) a.m. amplified noise that is plainly audible to a person of normal hearing when measured inside a receiving dwelling unit. B. It is an affirmative defense to any proceeding arising under this section that the receiving dwelling unit was unoccupied at the time of the violation. C. The Administrator shall promulgate by rule a standard for amplified noise plainly audible to a person of normal hearing which can be measured using a sound level meter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
m. 08 definitions) must set the measurable sound-level-meter standard for "plainly audible" by rule. 501 violation only after the property has already received a written warning within the previous 365 days, served by personal delivery, first-class mail, or posting on the property if the responsible person cannot be located. 910 by paying, requesting a mitigation hearing, or contesting the citation. 800(E).
Violations & Fines
Nightlife disturbance carries no automatic fine on a first complaint. SDCI must serve a written warning before it can cite a repeat violation within 365 days. After that, a civil penalty of up to $1,300 per day applies for each day the amplified noise continues to be plainly audible inside a neighboring dwelling between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and a cited business has 15 days to pay, request mitigation, or contest before the Hearing Examiner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Seattle bar be cited the first time a neighbor complains about noise?
What noise standard applies to Seattle bars and nightclubs at night?
Is it a defense that no one was home next door?
How much can a Seattle nightclub be fined for repeat noise violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
Compare Seattle 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.