Port Townsend, WA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing standard
- WAC 173-60 adopted citywide (PTMC 9.09.020)
- Industrial districts
- M/C, M-I, M-II(A/B), M-III zones
- Operational duty
- Best management practices minimize noise impacts
- Enforcement
- Police warning first, then citation
- Marine exemption
- Boat Haven/Point Hudson work-hours exempted
Summary
Port Townsend adopts Washington's WAC 173-60 environmental noise limits, setting decibel ceilings that vary by zone class, with industrial-zoned property held to a separate industrial noise classification enforced by the police department.
There is adopted for the city, as part of the Port Townsend Municipal Code, the following: Chapter 173-60 WAC, Maximum Environmental Noise Levels, specifically and including WAC 173-60-040, Maximum permissible noise levels... "Industrial zones" means all zoning districts of the city which are not set forth above, namely, zoning districts other than residential zoning districts, commercial zoning districts, or mixed use zoning districts.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Port Townsend adopts Chapter 173-60 WAC, Maximum Environmental Noise Levels, wholesale into the municipal code (PTMC 9.09.020), including WAC 173-60-040's zone-based decibel ceilings. For enforcement purposes the city defines "industrial zones" as every zoning district that isn't residential, commercial, or mixed use: covering the M/C, M-I, M-II(A), M-II(B), and M-III manufacturing and marine-related districts. Those districts also carry a separate operational duty: PTMC 17.22.020(D)(1) requires construction and operation of facilities there to follow best management practices minimizing noise impacts on adjacent nonindustrial land or water uses. Boat Haven and Point Hudson vessel and marine work get scheduled exemptions from enforcement under a city-port agreement.
Violations & Fines
Violating either the WAC decibel limits or making a "public disturbance noise" draws a police warning first; ignoring it brings a notice of infraction or criminal citation under PTMC 9.09.050 and 9.09.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Port Townsend set decibel limits for industrial noise?
What noise rule applies specifically inside manufacturing districts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
Compare Port Townsend to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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