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

Shoreline Municipal Code § 9.05.070(F) sets a distance-based test rather than a decibel meter reading for amplified sound: sound from audio equipment or motor vehicle audio sound equipment, such as radios, compact disc players, and MP3 players, that is operated at a volume so as to be audible greater than 50 feet from the source, and if not operated upon the property of the operator, is defined as public nuisance noise. A car stereo or portable speaker heard from more than 50 feet away while parked on a street or in someone else's yard is enough to violate the rule, without any sound-level testing.

A companion subsection, § 9.05.070(E), separately reaches indoor and building-based amplified noise: frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds that emanate from a building, structure, apartment or condominium, including musical instruments, audio sound systems, band sessions or social gatherings, are likewise a public nuisance once they unreasonably disturb neighbors. Together the two subsections cover both a car or portable stereo played in public and a home entertainment system or band practice heard through walls. Enforcement is handled the same way as every other subsection of § 9.05.070: under § 9.05.090, the code enforcement officer or the Shoreline Police Department can issue a $100.00 civil infraction, with each day of continuing noise treated as a separate violation, and a cited person may appeal to the King County District Court, West Division, in Shoreline, or apply for a variance under § 9.05.080.