Auburn, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered sound
- Horn/siren attached to motor vehicle
- Exception
- Danger warnings, legally required signals
- 1st penalty
- Up to $250 civil penalty
- Repeat penalty (2 yrs)
- Up to $500 civil penalty
- 3+ violations/12 mo
- Misdemeanor under ACC 1.24.010
Summary
Sounding a car horn or alarm siren repeatedly or continuously in Auburn violates ACC 8.28.010(B)(1) unless it warns of danger or is otherwise required by law. The rule is part of the city's public disturbance noise ordinance and carries a civil penalty starting at $250, doubling on a second offense within two years and becoming a misdemeanor on a third.
A. General Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person who owns or occupies property to allow to originate from the property, sound that is a public disturbance noise. B. Public Disturbances. The following sounds are public disturbance noises in violation of this chapter: 1. The frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of any horn or siren attached to a motor vehicle, except as a warning of danger or as specifically permitted or required by law;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
' That means a car alarm that keeps re-triggering, or a horn leaned on repeatedly, is a public disturbance noise under the general prohibition in subsection (A), which bars anyone from causing, or an owner or occupant from allowing, such sound to originate from their property. The same section separately treats portable and vehicle audio systems audible more than 50 feet away as its own violation category under (B)(5) and (B)(6), so a stereo blasting alongside a triggered alarm can generate two counted violations from the same incident.
, a car alarm or horn incident occurring at any other hour remains fully subject to citation. Enforcement is complaint-driven rather than metered; officers and code enforcement rely on the statutory description of frequency and disturbance rather than a decibel reading. 28: escalating civil penalties followed by a misdemeanor after repeated violations at one location.
Violations & Fines
A first car-alarm or horn violation under ACC 8.28.010(B)(1) draws a civil penalty of up to $250 under ACC 8.28.020. A second violation within a two-year period at the same location rises to $500, and a third or later violation within a 12-month period is prosecuted as a misdemeanor under ACC 1.24.010 rather than a civil penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a car alarm going off repeatedly illegal in Auburn?
What is the penalty for a noisy car alarm in Auburn?
Who enforces Auburn's car alarm noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
Compare Auburn to another location·View the Washington noise from specific sources overview
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Car Alarm Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle car alarm limits.