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

Section 9.20.030 sets the county's baseline noise ceiling with a grid keyed to the zoning district of the sound source and the district receiving it. Sound from a source in a Residential district may not exceed 52 dB(A) at a Rural receiving property, 57 dB(A) at Residential or Commercial receiving property, and 60 dB(A) at Industrial receiving property; the Rural-to-Rural ceiling is the lowest at 49 dB(A), and Industrial-to-Industrial is the highest at 70 dB(A). Section 9.20.040 adjusts those numbers: between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends, the limits drop by ten dB(A) for sound reaching a residential district, while short bursts of loud sound get a temporary allowance up to fifteen dB(A) for ninety seconds an hour.

Layered on top of that numeric table, § 9.20.050(C) separately bans 'the use of a sound amplifier or other device capable of producing or reproducing amplified sound upon public streets for the purpose of commercial advertising or sales or for attracting the attention of the public,' unless permitted by law, covering sound trucks and PA systems rather than the fixed decibel grid. Officially sanctioned parades and events are exempt from the whole chapter under § 9.20.060(H), and farm sound is exempt under § 9.20.065. The Sheriff enforces under § 9.20.090, and § 9.20.100 makes a violation an infraction with a penalty up to $500 per separate offense.