Lewis County, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Horn/siren curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Car stereo rule
- No time limit, disturbance-based standard
- First offense
- $50 Class 4 civil infraction
- Third offense
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 and 90 days
- Enforcing agency
- Sheriff's office and code enforcement
Summary
Unincorporated Lewis County bans the frequent or continuous sounding of a vehicle horn or siren between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under LCC § 1.23.030(1)(a), and separately bars a vehicle's audio system from being played loud enough to unreasonably disturb neighbors' peace at any hour under subsection (1)(e).
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; ... Sound from motor vehicle audio sound systems operated at a volume so that it unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of property owners or possessors; and
Full Breakdown
23 LCC treats a car's own noise output as two distinct public disturbance triggers. , unless it is warning of danger or required by law, language that reaches a malfunctioning or improperly triggered car alarm as much as a driver leaning on the horn. Subsection (1)(e) is not time-limited: it bars sound from a motor vehicle audio sound system operated at a volume that unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of property owners or possessors, so a car stereo blasting at any hour of the day can still draw a citation if it meets that disturbance standard. 040(2). 040(3), and a repeat offender within 12 months faces an escalating penalty schedule rather than a flat fine.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 1.23.030 is a Class 4 civil infraction with a $50 penalty plus statutory assessments (§ 1.23.040(1)(a)). A second violation of the same subsection within 12 months is a Class 2 infraction at $125, and a third or later violation within one year becomes a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000, 90 days in jail, or both, under § 1.23.040(1)(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to let a car alarm keep going off at night in unincorporated Lewis County?
Can I get cited for a loud car stereo during the day in Lewis County?
Does Lewis County need a decibel reading to cite a car alarm or stereo complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
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