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

PMC 9.130.030(3)(a) declares it a public disturbance noise for any sound made by a musical instrument, whistle, sound amplifier, juke box, radio, television, or similar device that emanates from a building, structure, or property between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and is received within a residential district. This is the city's core nighttime amplified-sound restriction, tied to the same hours used elsewhere in the noise chapter. Subsection (g) separately and permanently bars any sound made by a loudspeaker or sound amplifier exterior to a building used for commercial advertising or sales purposes, or for attracting public attention to a performance, show, or event, with no time-of-day exception.

Event organizers using amplification equipment on city property face an added layer: PMC 5559 (special event permitting) requires applicants proposing amplification to sign a statement acknowledging receipt of the Chapter 9.130 noise regulations and agreeing to abide by them, and PMC 9.130.070 caps officially sanctioned musical events in public parks or stadiums at an Leq of 95 dBA for one minute measured 50 feet from the source, dropping to the standard PMC 9.130.040 limits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Friday and Saturday. A performance can be shut down as a public nuisance if it hits 105 dBA for five minutes in any 30-minute span, per PMC 9.130.070(3). Additional exceptions for festivals and community celebrations may be granted by the Director of Community and Economic Development under PMC 9.130.060.