Chelan County, WA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chelan County Code § 11.22.040(6)(C)
- Nighttime limit
- 50 decibels, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Daytime limit
- 70 decibels, other hours
- Measured at
- The lot line
- Applies near
- Uses within or adjoining a residential district
- First-time civil fine
- $750 under § 16.16.010
Summary
In the Peshastin Urban Growth Area of unincorporated Chelan County, Code § 11.22.040(6)(C) caps noise from any use within or adjoining a residential district at fifty decibels measured at the lot line between ten p.m. and six a.m., and at seventy decibels the rest of the day. Noise that becomes objectionable from intermittent beat, frequency or shrillness violates the standard regardless of the decibel reading.
Noise emanating from any use shall be muffled so as to not become objectionable due to intermittent beat, frequency or shrillness, and where use is within or adjoins a residential district. The sound measured at the lot line shall not exceed fifty decibels between the hours of ten p.m. and six a.m. and seventy decibels at other hours.
Full Breakdown
040(6) address light and noise together as impacts every development in the urban growth area must control. , seventy decibels at other hours, but only 'where use is within or adjoins a residential district,' tying the limit to proximity to R-1, R-2 or R-3 zoned property rather than applying it uniformly to every zone in Peshastin. The same subsection also bars noise 'objectionable due to intermittent beat, frequency or shrillness,' a qualitative standard that can support an enforcement action even when a measured reading falls under the decibel ceiling.
The light standards in the same section, subsection (6)(A), separately require exterior lighting to be shielded, downward-projecting and no higher than twenty feet, and subsection (6)(B) bars blinking or flashing lights outside temporary holiday displays; together the two form Chelan County's package of nuisance controls for development adjoining Peshastin's residential zones. Community Development reviews compliance with the noise and light standards as part of its development permit review for any project within or adjoining the residential zones, and a resident who believes a nearby use exceeds the limit can request an inspection to document the decibel level at the property's lot line.
Violations & Fines
Community Development enforces § 11.22.040(6)(C) under Title 16. An administrator who documents a lot-line noise reading above fifty decibels at night or seventy decibels by day near a residential district, or objectionable intermittent noise regardless of decibel level, issues a notice and order under § 16.06.020. Section 16.16.010 sets the civil fine at $750 for a first violation and $1,500 for a repeat violation, with § 16.02.030 counting each day the excess noise continues as a separate violation, and the operator has fourteen days to appeal to the hearing examiner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime noise limit in Peshastin?
Does the decibel limit apply everywhere in Peshastin?
Can I be cited even if my noise reading is under the decibel limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelan County
Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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