Island County, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)

Section 9.60.030(A)(2) targets vehicle horns and sirens specifically: it prohibits 'the frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of any horn or siren attached to a motor vehicle between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except as a warning of danger or as specifically permitted or required by law.' A malfunctioning or improperly armed car alarm that repeatedly triggers overnight in unincorporated Island County falls squarely within this clause, since the ordinance does not distinguish between an alarm system and any other horn or siren mounted on the vehicle.

The nighttime window matches the rest of the chapter's vehicle-related provisions, including engine noise under (A)(3), and the exception preserves legitimate emergency and warning uses. Section 9.60.040(B) removes the need for a sound-level meter reading to prove the offense, so repeated 911 or Sheriff's Office calls documenting a specific vehicle's alarm going off overnight can be enough. Penalties follow the chapter's general escalation at § 9.60.040(A): a first offense within a year is a Class 4 civil infraction at $25.00 plus statutory assessments, a second is a Class 2 civil infraction at $125.00, and a third or subsequent violation within the year is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, 90 days in jail, or both.

The Island County Sheriff's Office and its deputies are the enforcement officers for both civil and criminal violations, and civil infractions process under Chapter 7.80 RCW and applicable Washington Supreme Court and local court rules per § 9.60.040(C).