Kirkland, WA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Kirkland, 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 section
- KMC 11.84A.070(4) and (6)
- Portable audio limit
- Audible beyond 50 feet off own property
- Fixed sound standard
- Unreasonably interferes with neighbors' peace
- Exempt use
- Regularly scheduled, permitted park events
- Penalty class
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 90 days
Summary
Kirkland bans musical instruments, band sessions and audio sound systems in buildings or on watercraft when they unreasonably disturb neighbors, and separately caps portable audio equipment like radios and speakers at being audible beyond fifty feet from the source unless played on the operator's own property. KMC 11.84A.070(4) and (6) govern.
The following sounds are determined to be public disturbance noises: ... (4) The creation of frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds which emanate from any building, structure, apartment, condominium or watercraft, which unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of owners or possessors of real property, such as sounds from musical instruments, audio sound systems, band sessions or social gatherings; ... (6) Sound from portable audio equipment, such as tape players, radios, docking stations and compact disc players, operated at a volume so as to be audible greater than fifty feet from the source, and if not operated upon the property of the operator; (7) The foregoing provisions shall not apply to regularly scheduled events at parks, such as public address systems for baseball games or park concerts.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
070 lists amplified and musical sound among its public disturbance noise categories in two separate subsections. Subsection (4) bans frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds emanating from any building, structure, apartment, condominium or watercraft that unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of property owners, expressly naming musical instruments, audio sound systems, band sessions and social gatherings as examples, so a band practicing in a garage or a stereo blasting from a condo balcony can qualify. Subsection (6) sets a bright-line distance test for portable audio equipment, tape players, radios, docking stations and compact disc players: it is a violation if the equipment is audible beyond fifty feet from the source and the equipment is not being operated on the operator's own property.
Read together, the two subsections cover both the case-by-case 'unreasonably interferes' standard for fixed sound sources like a home stereo or live band, and the flat fifty-foot audibility line for portable speakers used somewhere other than the operator's own property. The chapter carves out one exception in subsection (7): regularly scheduled park events, such as public address systems for baseball games or park concerts, are not covered. 010 to a misdemeanor, prosecuted in Kirkland Municipal Court.
Violations & Fines
Amplified music or sound that unreasonably disturbs neighbors, or portable audio equipment audible beyond fifty feet from the source off the operator's own property, violates KMC 11.84A.070(4) and (6). It's a misdemeanor under KMC 1.04.010(c), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, unless the sound comes from a regularly scheduled, permitted park event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far away can my speaker be heard before it's illegal in Kirkland?
Can I get cited for band practice in my garage?
Does the fifty-foot audio rule apply to park concerts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.