Edmonds, WA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Edmonds, 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
- Governing rule
- Public disturbance noises, no time limit
- Covers
- Musical instruments, sound amplifiers, whistles
- Trigger
- Unreasonable noise plus refusal to stop
- First offense
- $100 civil infraction
Summary
Edmonds bans loud, repetitive amplified music and sound-equipment noise that disturbs neighbors under ECC 5.30.130(C), part of the city's public disturbance noises rule. A violation requires the sound to be unreasonable and to continue after a police officer orders it stopped, not just a complaint alone.
It is unlawful for any person knowingly to cause or make, or for any person in possession of property knowingly to allow to originate from the property, unreasonable noise which disturbs another, and to refuse or intentionally fail to cease the unreasonable noise when ordered to do so by a police officer. Public disturbance noises shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following sounds or combinations of sounds: ... ... C. Loud and frequent, repetitive or intermittently continuous sounds made by the use of a musical instrument or instruments or other device capable of producing sound when struck by an object, of a whistle, or of a sound amplifier or other device capable of producing, amplifying or reproducing sounds.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
unreasonable noise which disturbs another" and to refuse to stop when a police officer orders it. The section lists categories of sound treated as public disturbances, and subsection (C) specifically names "loud and frequent, repetitive or intermittently continuous sounds made by the use of a musical instrument or instruments or other device capable of producing sound when struck by an object, of a whistle, or of a sound amplifier or other device capable of producing, amplifying or reproducing sounds," covering speakers, stereos, PA systems and live instruments alike.
130 has no clock: it can be enforced any hour of the day or night once the sound is loud, repetitive and disturbing to a neighbor. , so amplified music specifically falls under (C). 130 liability even where a construction variance exists. 140.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of ECC 5.30.130 is a $100 civil infraction under ECC 5.30.150(A), rising to $250 for a second violation within the same calendar year, and a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail for a third. Refusing a police order to stop the noise is itself part of the offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for amplified music in Edmonds?
Can police stop a loud party's music in Edmonds at any hour?
What happens if I ignore a police order to turn down music?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.