Salem, OR Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Noise-sensitive receiver
- 55 dBA day / 50 dBA night
- Commercial/industrial receiver
- 70 dBA day / 65 dBA night
- Industrial-to-industrial
- No maximum listed
- Tolerance
- 10 dBA over, up to 1 min/10 min
- Measurement point
- 25 ft from building or property line
Summary
Salem caps how much sound a business or industrial operation may send onto someone else's property under Table 51-1 of SRC 51.015: no more than 55 dBA by day and 50 dBA at night on a nearby home, school, or other noise-sensitive property, rising to 70 dBA by day and 65 dBA at night between commercial or industrial properties, with no maximum between two industrial properties. Exceeding the table without an event sound permit is unlawful.
(a)General rule. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person who owns, controls or operates any sound source to cause or permit sound in excess of the maximum permissible sound levels set forth in Table 51-1 to be received on property other than property where the source is located without first obtaining an event sound permit issued pursuant to this chapter.
Table 51-1. Maximum Permissible Sound Levels in dBA Type of Source by Use Type of Receiver by Use Noise Sensitive Commercial Industrial Day Night Day Night Day Night Noise sensitive Not applicable 60 55 65 60 Commercial 55 50 70 65 70 65 Industrial 55 50 70 65 No maximum
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
015(a) sets Salem's baseline decibel ceiling: it is unlawful for the owner, controller, or operator of any sound source to cause sound in excess of the levels in Table 51-1 to be received on someone else's property without first obtaining an event sound permit under SRC chapter 51. m. Under the table, sound from a commercial source reaching a noise-sensitive receiving property, such as a dwelling, church, school, or hospital, cannot exceed 55 dBA during the day or 50 dBA at night. Sound between two commercial properties, or from a commercial or industrial source onto industrial receiving property, is allowed up to 70 dBA by day and 65 dBA at night.
Sound from one industrial property received on another industrial property carries no listed maximum at all. 015(b) allows a narrow tolerance on top of these numbers: sound may exceed the table by ten dBA for a cumulative total of no more than one minute in any ten-minute period. Measurement location matters too: under (c), readings are taken at whichever point is farther from the source, either 25 feet from the nearest building on the receiving property or the receiving property line itself. 020(a) through (j), so the numeric limits do double duty as both an event-permit trigger and a standalone noise offense.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the Table 51-1 decibel limits without a permit violates SRC 51.015 and is an infraction under SRC 51.100(a) and (c), with each day a separate violation and courts able to order correction. A sound source not covered elsewhere in SRC 93.020 that exceeds the table is also chargeable under SRC 93.020(k), and event sound permit holders who exceed their permit conditions face the same infraction plus a possible $250 civil penalty under SRC 51.100(f).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum noise level allowed near homes in Salem?
Can a business exceed the decibel table if it gets a permit?
How is sound measured to check compliance with the decibel table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
Compare Salem to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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