Tacoma, WA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Generator noise
- Exempt during power outages
- Trigger
- No utility power, disaster/outage
- Exemption cite
- TMC § 8.122.140(O)
- Non-outage use
- Subject to general ambient limits
Summary
Tacoma exempts portable and stand-by generators from its noise code entirely while running during a genuine power outage or natural disaster, under TMC § 8.122.140(O).
The operational performance standards established in this chapter shall not apply to any of the following noise sources: ... Sounds created by portable or stand-by generators during periods when there is no electrical service available from the primary supplier due to natural disaster or power outage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Tacoma's noise code exempts portable or stand-by generators outright from its decibel and time-of-day standards under TMC § 8.122.140(O), but only while there is no electrical service available from the primary utility due to a natural disaster or power outage. Residents and businesses running generators during an actual outage face no noise-code restriction. The exemption doesn't cover routine testing or non-emergency generator use: a generator run outside a genuine outage is treated like any other sound source and subject to the general ambient noise limits in TMC § 8.122.060.
Violations & Fines
Not applicable during a qualifying power outage: the activity is exempt from Chapter 8.122; outside an outage, standard noise-code civil penalties can apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a generator during a power outage in Tacoma without violating the noise code?
Does the generator exemption apply anytime?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
Compare Tacoma to another location·View the Washington noise from specific sources overview
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