Port Townsend, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- PTMC 9.09.030(C)(1) and (C)(9)
- Enforcement trigger
- citizen complaint plus police warning
- First-offense fine
- $66 civil infraction
- Repeat within a year
- up to $209
- Third offense in a year
- misdemeanor, up to $1,000
Summary
Port Townsend treats frequent, repetitive car alarms and false alarms as a public disturbance noise, enforced only after a citizen complaint and police warning, with civil infraction fines starting at $66.
The frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of any horn, siren, or car alarm attached to a motor vehicle, except as a warning of danger or as specifically permitted or required by law. ... Frequent or repetitive sounding of false car alarm.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City code bans the frequent, repetitive, or continuous sounding of a car horn, siren, or alarm, plus repeated false car alarms, as a "public disturbance noise" under PTMC 9.09.030(C). Enforcement requires a citizen complaint and a police warning to stop the noise before any citation issues; a second violation by the same person within 24 hours skips the warning step. Civil infraction fines run $66 for a first offense, $114 for a second, and $209 for a third within one year, per PTMC 9.09.060, escalating to a misdemeanor for a third offense within a year.
Violations & Fines
First offense: $66 civil infraction. Second within a year: $114. Third within a year: $209, plus a possible misdemeanor charge carrying up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a false car alarm illegal in Port Townsend?
Do I need a witness complaint before a car-alarm citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
Compare Port Townsend to another location·View the Washington noise from specific sources overview
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