Edmonds, WA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential to residential
- 55 dB(A) at property line
- Commercial to commercial
- 70 dB(A), the loosest limit
- Measured at
- property line or receiving property
- 1st/2nd violation
- $100.00 / $250.00 civil infraction
- 3rd violation (same year)
- misdemeanor, up to $1,000/90 days
Summary
Edmonds caps sound at the property line using a district-to-district table: noise crossing from a residential source into a residential receiving property is capped at 55 dB(A), rising to 60 dB(A) commercial-to-commercial and 70 dB(A) for sound crossing from commercial into commercial receiving property, with intermediate steps in between.
5.30.040 Maximum permissible sound levels. The maximum permissible sound level as measured at the property line or anywhere within the receiving property shall be as set forth in the following table:
+-------------------+-------------------------------------+ | District of Sound | District of Receiving Property | | Source | | +-------------------+-------------+----------+------------+ | " | Residential | Business | Commercial | +-------------------+-------------+----------+------------+ | Residential | 55 dB(A) | 57 | 60 | +-------------------+-------------+----------+------------+ | Business | 57 | 60 | 65 | +-------------------+-------------+----------+------------+ | Commercial | 60 | 65 | 70 | +-------------------+-------------+----------+------------+
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
040 sets Edmonds' baseline noise ceiling, measured at the property line or anywhere within the receiving property. The limit depends on both where the sound originates and what kind of district receives it, laid out in a source-district-by-receiving-district table. Sound generated in a residential district is capped at 55 dB(A) when it reaches another residential property, 57 dB(A) reaching a business district, and 60 dB(A) reaching a commercial district. Sound from a business-district source is capped at 57 dB(A) into residential, 60 dB(A) into business, and 65 dB(A) into commercial.
Sound from a commercial-district source is capped at 60 dB(A) into residential, 65 dB(A) into business, and 70 dB(A) into commercial, the loosest ceiling in the table. 020 defines these districts for purposes of the chapter: 'residential district' covers all R-classified zones plus the Open Space zone, 'business' zone means BN or BC zones, and 'commercial' zones cover CW or CG zones. 030, whenever sound originating on one property intrudes onto another person's property above the applicable ceiling. 050 separately reduces the residential-district limits by 10 dB(A) overnight and allows short, limited exceedances of any limit for brief spikes.
Violations & Fines
Sound intruding onto another property above the applicable dB(A) ceiling in the ECC 5.30.040 table is an unlawful sound under ECC 5.30.030. Under ECC 5.30.150, a first violation of this chapter is a civil infraction punishable by a $100.00 fine, a second violation within a calendar year is a civil infraction punishable by a $250.00 fine, and a third violation within the same year becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum noise level allowed at my property line in a residential zone?
How does Edmonds define 'residential,' 'business' and 'commercial' districts for noise purposes?
What happens the first time someone reports my property for excessive noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle decibel limits.