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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Restricted hours
10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Covers
Horns and sirens attached to motor vehicles
Exception
Warning of danger or required by law
Enforcing agency
Skagit County Sheriff's Office
Penalty escalation
Warning, then $125, then misdemeanor
Governing section
SCC 9.50.040(2)(a)

Summary

Unincorporated Skagit County restricts horns and sirens attached to motor vehicles, including car alarms, under SCC 9.50.040(2)(a). Sounding one between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is a public disturbance noise violation unless it warns of danger or is otherwise required by law. The Sheriff's Office enforces the rule with escalating penalties for repeat offenders.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Skagit County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(a) Horns or sirens attached to a motor vehicle between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. except when used as a warning of danger or as specifically permitted or required by law.

View official code

Full Breakdown

040(2)(a) is the county's only ordinance directly addressing sounds produced by a vehicle's horn or siren, the same equipment a car alarm activates when triggered. 040(2). The rule carries a built-in exception: a horn or siren used as a warning of danger, or as specifically permitted or required by law, is not a violation regardless of the hour, which covers a genuine anti-theft alarm response or a collision warning. 040(1) if it exceeds the state's maximum environmental noise levels. 56 (Private Alarm Systems), by contrast, only regulates burglary and premises alarm systems, not vehicles.

Violations & Fines

A first horn-or-siren violation within the preceding year is a warning under SCC 9.50.050(1)(a). A second violation in the same one-year period is a Class 2 civil infraction with a $125 fine plus statutory assessments. A third or later violation becomes a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days in jail, or both, and civil infractions are processed under Chapter 7.80 RCW.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is setting off a car alarm at night illegal in unincorporated Skagit County?
It can be. SCC 9.50.040(2)(a) makes it unlawful to sound a horn or siren attached to a motor vehicle between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when it unreasonably disturbs a neighbor's peace, and a triggered alarm sounds through the same horn or siren. The rule does not apply if the alarm is warning of an actual danger.
Does Skagit County require vehicle owners to register their car alarms?
No. The county's alarm-registration rule, SCC Chapter 12.56, only covers burglary, robbery and distress alarm systems installed at a fixed premises, not vehicle alarms. Vehicle horns and sirens are instead addressed by the nighttime hour restriction in SCC 9.50.040(2)(a), with no separate permit or registration step.
What if my car alarm goes off during the day in Skagit County?
SCC 9.50.040(2)(a) only restricts vehicle horns and sirens between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. A daytime alarm is not covered by that specific hour restriction, though an unusually loud or prolonged sound could still be measured against the general WAC 173-60 noise-level standard in SCC 9.50.040(1).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Skagit County

Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsDelivery Truck NoiseSome RestrictionsGenerator NoiseLight RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: FireworksSome Restrictions

All Skagit County rules

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