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

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

Key Facts

Exempt duration
Up to 30 minutes per incident
Governing section
Thurston County Code § 10.36.040(D)
After 30 minutes
Becomes a chargeable noise violation
Underlying limit if not exempt
55/45 dBA under § 10.36.030(B)
Who may complain
Affected resident or property owner only

Summary

Thurston County's noise ordinance exempts car alarms and other warning devices from its public disturbance noise limits, but only for the first thirty minutes. County Code Section 10.36.040(D) shields warning devices 'not operated continuously for more than thirty minutes per incident,' after which the alarm becomes an enforceable noise violation like any other sound source under Chapter 10.36.

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

The following sounds are exempt from the provisions of this chapter: ... D.Sounds created by warning devices not operated continuously for more than thirty minutes per incident;

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 77).

Full Breakdown

030(B). ' In practice that means a car alarm that sounds briefly, whether from a bump, a false trigger or an attempted break-in, is not itself a code violation no matter how loud it registers at the property line. 030. A chronically malfunctioning alarm that repeatedly exceeds thirty minutes per incident does not get the exemption on any of those later incidents, and the property owner in possession of the vehicle can be cited. 38.

Violations & Fines

A car alarm or similar warning device that sounds continuously for more than thirty minutes per incident loses the exemption in Section 10.36.040(D) and becomes chargeable as public disturbance noise under Section 10.36.030(B), a misdemeanor under Section 10.36.050. Thurston County can instead issue a civil penalty notice for the same thirty-minute-plus incident under Chapter 10.38.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a car alarm going off illegal in Thurston County?
Not at first. Section 10.36.040(D) exempts warning devices, including car alarms, that are 'not operated continuously for more than thirty minutes per incident.' A brief false alarm is not a violation, but once a single incident runs past thirty minutes straight it loses the exemption and can be cited as noise.
What happens once a car alarm has been sounding for over 30 minutes?
It stops being exempt under Section 10.36.040(D) and instead falls under the general public disturbance noise limit in Section 10.36.030(B), which caps device noise at 55 dBA in the daytime and 45 dBA at night measured at the nearest property line. A violation is a misdemeanor under Section 10.36.050.
Who can report a car alarm noise complaint in Thurston County?
Only a person who resides in, or owns property in, the area affected by the alarm can initiate a complaint under Section 10.36.030. Thurston County's noise chapter does not allow a passerby or unrelated third party to trigger enforcement of the thirty-minute exemption limit in Section 10.36.040(D).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Thurston County

Generator NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Cat RulesSome Restrictions

All Thurston County rules

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