Kent, WA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Quietest limit
- 55 dBA, Class A source to Class A receiver
- Loudest limit
- 70 dBA, Class C source to Class C receiver
- Nighttime reduction
- -10 dBA for Class A receivers, 10pm-7am
- Civil fine
- $250 per day
- 5th offense in 5 years
- Becomes a misdemeanor
- Enforcing office
- Building department (noise control office)
Summary
Kent caps noise crossing onto a neighbor's property using a zone-based table: KCC 8.05.090 sets limits from 55 dBA (quiet residential to quiet residential) up to 70 dBA (industrial to industrial), measured at the receiving property, with a 10 dBA nighttime reduction for residential receivers.
No person shall cause or permit noise to intrude into the property of another person, which noise exceeds the maximum permissible noise levels set forth below in this section, with the point of measurement being at any point within the receiving property. TABLE I Maximum Permissible Environmental Noise Levels EDNA of noise source EDNA of receiving property Class A Class B Class C Class A 55 dBA 57 dBA 60 dBA Class B 57 dBA 60 dBA 65 dBA Class C 60 dBA 65 dBA 70 dBA
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
070 assigns every parcel an Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement (EDNA): Class A covers residential, multifamily, and recreational/care uses; Class B covers commercial, dining, retail, and office uses; Class C covers industrial, warehouse, and agricultural uses. 080 maps Kent's zoning districts to those classes, for example SR-1 through SR-8 and multifamily zones as Class A, NCC/CC/DC and similar commercial zones as Class B, and I1-I3, SU, and AG zones as Class C. 090's Table I then sets the maximum dBA one property's noise source may impose on another property's receiving boundary, ranging from 55 dBA between two Class A properties up to 70 dBA between two Class C properties, with intermediate values for mixed-class pairs.
, limits for Class A receiving property drop by 10 dBA, though brief exceedances are allowed (5 dBA for 15 minutes/hour, 10 dBA for 5 minutes/hour, or 15 dBA for 90 seconds/hour). 140 then exempt specific sources, such as daytime home-maintenance noise, aircraft testing, utility repairs, blasting, motor vehicles on public roads, trains, warning devices under five minutes, and officially sanctioned parades, from the table's limits.
Violations & Fines
KCC 8.05.280 makes conduct unlawful under KCC 8.05.090 through 8.05.250 subject to a $250 civil fine, cumulative so each day of continued violation is a separate offense. Five separate subsequent offenses by the same violator within five years also become a misdemeanor, carrying criminal penalties under KCC 1.01.140 in addition to the $250-per-day civil fine. The building department, designated the noise control office under KCC 8.05.050, issues warnings, abatement notices, and citations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kent's decibel limit for noise from a neighboring house?
Are commercial and industrial noise limits higher in Kent?
What's the fine for exceeding Kent's noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
Compare Kent to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle decibel limits.