Whatcom County, WA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Whatcom 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
- Standard used
- Loud/unusual noise disturbing neighborhood peace
- Governing section
- WCC § 9.40.010
- Farm exemption
- WCC § 9.40.025
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, WCC § 9.40.030
- Alternate track
- Class 2 civil infraction, Chapter 9.44
Summary
Whatcom County has no fixed decibel or curfew limit for amplified sound. WCC § 9.40.010 instead bans any loud or unusual noise, including amplified music, that wilfully disturbs a neighborhood's peace or annoys a reasonable person living nearby, judged against listed factors like volume, timing and duration, with violations charged as a misdemeanor.
It shall be unlawful for any person who owns, leases, operates or is otherwise in control of any premises to wilfully make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, any loud or unusual noise which disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963078; v4 updated 2026-06-23; through 06-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
40, Disorderly House) bans wilfully making or continuing any loud or unusual noise, including from amplified music or sound equipment, that disturbs the peace of a neighborhood or causes discomfort to a reasonable person of normal sensitivity living nearby. 020 lists the factors the sheriff and courts weigh in deciding whether a specific noise crosses the line: its volume and intensity, whether it is usual or unusual for the area, whether it is natural or unnatural, how close it is to residential sleeping quarters, the density of the surrounding neighborhood, the time of day or night, how long it lasts, and whether it recurs, is intermittent, or is constant.
020, from being treated as a disorderly house for noise purposes, protecting Whatcom's dairy and berry operations from neighbor noise complaints. 120(1)(b) rather than as a misdemeanor. 030.
Violations & Fines
A Chapter 9.40 violation, such as amplified music that disturbs a neighborhood at night, is a misdemeanor under WCC § 9.40.030, chargeable per incident. A quieter but individually directed noise disturbance can instead be cited under Chapter 9.44 as a Class 2 civil infraction under RCW 7.80.120(1)(b), which carries a monetary penalty rather than a criminal record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for amplified music in unincorporated Whatcom County?
Does the noise rule apply to farms?
What happens if I'm cited for loud music?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whatcom County
Compare Whatcom County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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