Richland, WA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Richland's public nuisance noise chapter, RMC § 9.16.045, does not set a decibel-meter threshold for most of the city; instead it makes fourteen specific sounds a 'public disturbance noise' once they cross a 50-foot audibility line during restricted hours. Musical instruments, sound amplifiers and the unamplified human voice emanating from a building or property are restricted between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in the central business district (CBD) and 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in every other use district. The same 9:00 p.m.-to-7:00 a.m. window governs construction, demolition or excavation noise and power tools such as saws, drills, sanders and grinders, all measured by whether the sound is audible past 50 feet from a residential district.

Portable audio equipment and vehicle stereos are capped at 50 feet audible from the source at any hour. RMC §§ 9.16.050 and 9.16.055 exempt home repair projects, utility work, city department work, emergency equipment, train and aircraft noise, and city-hosted special events from the curfew. Where the zoning code addresses industrial noise instead, RMC § 23.26.020(A)(4) directs the I-M and M-2 districts to the state's Chapter 173-60 WAC Class C decibel table rather than stating its own number. Anyone who needs to exceed the § 9.16.045 limits, such as for an outdoor concert, can apply to Development Services for a noise permit under RMC § 9.16.060 at least 45 days ahead; permits run at most twice per location per calendar year and are reviewed for compatibility with surrounding uses, proximity to noise-sensitive uses, duration, scale and the applicant's compliance history under RMC § 9.16.065.