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Skagit County, WA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Some Restrictions

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

Amplified music rules in Skagit County, WA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.

Key Facts

Audibility limit: 150 feet from the source property
Enforcing agency: Skagit County Sheriff's Office
First violation: Warning only
Second violation: $125 Class 2 civil infraction
Third+ violation: Up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail
Governing section: SCC 9.50.040(2)(c)

Summary

Unincorporated Skagit County bans audio systems, radios, amplifiers and speakers from being audible more than 150 feet from the source property under SCC 9.50.040(2)(c). The 150-foot line applies to building-based systems and to portable audio gear used on either private or public property. The Sheriff's Office enforces the rule as a public disturbance noise violation.

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.

(2) It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession or control of property to allow, sound, which unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort, and repose of other property owners or possessors, to originate from the property. ... (c) Sound from audio systems, including but not limited to radios and tape and compact disc players, amplifiers, and speakers, which emanate from: ... (i) Any building, structure, apartment or condominium that is audible at a distance of greater than one hundred fifty (150) feet from the property that the building is on; ... (ii) Portable audio equipment used on private property when operated at a volume that is audible at a distance greater than one hundred fifty (150) feet from the property; and ... (iii) Portable audio equipment used on public property when operated at a volume that is audible at a distance greater than one hundred fifty (150) feet from the portable audio equipment.

View official code

Full Breakdown

040(2), the county's public disturbance noises section, which lists specific sounds that are unlawful when they unreasonably disturb the peace, comfort and repose of other property owners. Subsection (c) covers audio systems, including but not limited to radios and tape and compact disc players, amplifiers, and speakers, and sets the same 150-foot audibility line for three situations: sound from a building, structure, apartment or condominium; portable audio equipment used on private property; and portable audio equipment used on public property. Any of the three trips the ordinance once the sound carries past 150 feet from the property line (or, for public-property portable equipment, past 150 feet from the equipment itself).

040(1) bars any sound from a property that exceeds the levels set by Chapter 173-60 WAC, the state's maximum environmental noise standard, so amplified sound can violate the county code even inside 150 feet if it breaches the WAC decibel table. 060. 040(3) keep the rule from reaching permitted park events, sanctioned parades, and amplified sound covered by a state, county or municipal permit.

Violations & Fines

SCC 9.50.050 punishes noise violations on an escalating scale within a rolling one-year window. A first violation is a warning only. The second violation in that year is a Class 2 civil infraction carrying 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. Investigators do not need a sound-level meter reading to prove the offense; civil infractions are processed under Chapter 7.80 RCW.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Skagit County's amplified-sound rule apply to portable speakers, not just home stereos?

Yes. SCC 9.50.040(2)(c) covers three separate situations: sound from a building, apartment or condominium; portable audio equipment on private property; and portable audio equipment on public property. Each is measured the same way, by whether the sound carries past 150 feet, so a portable speaker at a park is treated the same as a stereo inside a house.

Is there a decibel limit for amplified sound in unincorporated Skagit County, or just the 150-foot rule?

Both apply. SCC 9.50.040(1) separately makes it unlawful for sound from a property to exceed the levels in Chapter 173-60 WAC, the state's maximum environmental noise standard, regardless of distance. So sound that stays inside 150 feet can still violate the county code if it breaches the WAC decibel table.

What happens the first time someone reports my amplified sound as too loud?

Under SCC 9.50.050(1)(a), a first violation within the preceding year draws only a warning. A second violation in the same year becomes a $125 Class 2 civil infraction, and a third or later violation is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.

Sources & Official References

[1]Skagit County Code, Chapter 9.50 (Code Publishing)

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All Skagit County rules

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