Yakima County, WA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Yakima 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
- Noise test
- Plainly audible in a dwelling unit or within two hundred feet of one
- Unamplified voices exempt
- 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (§ 6.28.040(16))
- Permitted festival sound exempt
- 6:00 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. (§ 8.10.110)
- Chapter 6.28 penalty
- Civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars
- Festival penalty
- Civil infraction, not less than $500.00 (§ 8.10.150)
- Decibel limit in the code
- None printed
Summary
Yakima County has no decibel limit for amplified music. Section 6.28.030 bars any sound plainly audible inside a neighbor's dwelling unit or generated within two hundred feet of one, and § 6.28.040(16) exempts only unamplified voices from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Permitted festivals are exempt from Chapter 6.28 from 6:00 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. under § 8.10.110.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued or any person in possession of property to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued or allow to originate from the property any sound which: (a) Is plainly audible within any dwelling unit which is not the source of the sound or is generated within two hundred feet of any dwelling unit; (b) Either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others. (2) Sound which is "plainly audible" is sound that can be understood or identified. ... (16) Sounds created by unamplified human voices from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; ... Sounds created by a festival permitted by this chapter shall be exempt from the provisions of YCC Chapter 6.28 from 6:00 a.m. to 12:01 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4871853; v6 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Yakima County regulates amplified music through Chapter 6.28 (Noise Control), which covers the unincorporated area, and through the festival chapter, Chapter 8.10. The chapter has no decibel numbers. Section 6.28.030(1) makes it unlawful to make, continue or allow to originate from property any sound which is plainly audible within any dwelling unit which is not the source of the sound or is generated within two hundred feet of any dwelling unit, or which annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others. Section 6.28.030(2) defines plainly audible as sound that can be understood or identified, so a bass line or lyric heard inside a neighbor's home is enough.
The exemption list in § 6.28.040 is narrow for voices and speakers. Item (16) exempts sounds created by unamplified human voices from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Amplified sound is not on that list, so a speaker system, band or DJ at a private party stays under § 6.28.030 at every hour. Item (13) exempts sounds originating from officially sanctioned parades and other public events.
Festivals are the one place the code sets a late-night window. Section 8.10.110 says sounds created by a festival permitted under Chapter 8.10 are exempt from YCC Chapter 6.28 from 6:00 a.m. to 12:01 a.m. That exemption belongs to the permitted festival only, and outside the window Chapter 6.28 applies again. The festival chapter adds that no festival shall be operated closer than 300 feet from any house, residence or other human habitation as measured from the sound source, unless each residence owner within that distance waives the requirement in writing (§ 8.10.100), and § 8.10.140 sets festival hours of 6:00 a.m. to 12:01 a.m., adjustable by the Administrative Official.
The county sheriff and other law enforcement officers enforce Chapter 6.28 under § 6.28.050. This page applies to unincorporated Yakima County only. The cities of Yakima, Sunnyside, Selah and the other incorporated cities are separate jurisdictions, and county ordinances do not govern trust land within the Yakama Nation Reservation.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 6.28 is a civil infraction punished under § 6.28.060 by a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars. Festival violations fall under § 8.10.150, a civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW in the amount of not less than $500.00, and a permit can be revoked under § 8.10.080 for any material violation after a hearing on not less than three days' notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for amplified music in unincorporated Yakima County?
Can I play amplified music at a backyard party?
How late can a permitted festival run its sound system?
How far must a festival sound source be from homes?
What are the penalties?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima County
Compare Yakima County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.