Clackamas County, OR Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Clackamas County, OR, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10 p.m.-7 a.m. near dwellings
- Public-space standard
- Plainly audible + unreasonably loud across line
- Daytime rule
- General reasonableness standard, no fixed hours
- Event exemption
- Permitted or County-sponsored outdoor events
- Variance option
- Apply under Code § 6.05.070
Summary
Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., unincorporated Clackamas County bars unreasonably loud loudspeakers, amplifiers, and PA systems near dwellings or noise-sensitive areas, and in public space where the sound is plainly audible and unreasonably loud across the property line, under Code 6.05.040(B)(6). Daytime amplified sound is judged under the chapter's general reasonableness standard instead.
6. Loudspeakers, Amplifiers, Public Address Systems and Similar Devices: The unreasonably loud and raucous use or operation of a loudspeaker, amplifier, public address system, or other device for producing or reproducing sound between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day in the following areas:
a. Within or in proximity to dwellings or noise sensitive areas.
b. Within the public space if the sound is plainly audible across the real property line of the public space from which the sound emanates, and is unreasonably loud.
7. Yelling, Shouting and Similar Activities: Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing received or perceived in dwellings, noise sensitive areas or in public places, between the hours of 10 p.m., and 7 a.m. the following day, or at any time or place so as to unreasonably disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of reasonable persons of ordinary sensitivities. This section is to be applied only to those situations where the disturbance is not a result of the content of the communication but due to the volume, duration, location, timing, or other factors not based on content.
8. Animals and Birds: Within urban residential zoning districts, unreasonably loud and raucous noise emitted by an animal or bird for which a person is responsible. A person is responsible for an animal if the person owns, controls, or otherwise cares for the animal or bird.
Full Breakdown
040(B)(5), covers radios, stereos, and similar personal devices that are 'plainly audible' to a non-listener and either unreasonably disturb a noise-sensitive area or carry 50 feet from the source; that clause has no fixed nighttime window and applies at any hour. 030(B): proximity to dwellings, the zoning of the area, time of day, duration, and whether the sound is recurring. 060(K) exempts outdoor gatherings, dances, and similar events that hold a permit from the appropriate authority or are County-sponsored. 070.
Violations & Fines
Violations follow the standard Chapter 6.05 process: the Sheriff's Office issues a citation, the operator has fourteen days to pay the Board-set fine under 6.05.100 or request a hearing under Section 2.07.040, and speakers or amplifiers can be seized as evidence after two prior citations for the same sound source within six months. Unresolved cases can go to County Counsel for civil action in Circuit or District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run outdoor speakers late at a backyard party in Clackamas County?
Does a permitted outdoor concert have to follow the 10 p.m. cutoff?
What is the difference between the stereo rule and the loudspeaker rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clackamas County
Compare Clackamas County to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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