Kitsap County, WA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC § 10.28.040, Maximum permissible noise levels
- Class A limit
- 55/57/60 dBA reaching Class A/B/C property
- Class B limit
- 57/60/65 dBA reaching Class A/B/C property
- Class C limit
- 60/65/70 dBA reaching Class A/B/C property
- Short spikes allowed
- Up to 15 dBA over for 1.5 minutes per hour
- Coverage
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor: up to 90 days jail or $250 fine
Summary
Kitsap County Code § 10.28.040 sets numeric decibel ceilings by Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement (EDNA) zone class: a Class A noise source may not exceed 55 dBA at a Class A receiving property, 57 dBA at Class B and 60 dBA at Class C, with higher ceilings for Class B and C sources. Short, occasional spikes above the table are allowed.
(a) The noise limitations established are as set forth in the following table after any applicable adjustments provided for herein are applied: 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, 60, 65. Class C: 60, 65, 70. (c) At any hour of the day or night, the applicable noise limitations in subsections (a) and (b) of this section may be exceeded for any receiving property by no more than: (1) 5 dBA for a total of fifteen minutes in any one-hour period; or (2) 10 dBA for a total of five minutes in any one-hour period; or (3) 15 dBA for a total of 1.5 minutes in any one-hour period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
28, Noise Control, first adopted by Ordinance 3-A in 1975. 030: Class A covers single-family and multi-family residential zones, the residential mobile home zone, the agricultural zone, the forestry zone and the undeveloped land zone; Class B covers the business neighborhood, business general, commercial and light manufacturing zones; Class C covers the manufacturing zone. Subsection (a)'s table sets the ceiling by pairing the EDNA of the noise source against the EDNA of the receiving property: a Class A source is capped at 55 dBA reaching a Class A property, 57 dBA reaching Class B, and 60 dBA reaching Class C; a Class B source is capped at 57, 60 and 65 dBA respectively; a Class C source at 60, 65 and 70 dBA. 5 minutes. 030. 4-1971, per the chapter's definitions.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 10.28.040 is a misdemeanor under § 10.28.150, punishable by up to ninety days in the county jail, a fine of up to $250, or both, with each day of continuing violation charged as a separate offense; the county may instead pursue it as a Class I civil infraction under Chapter 2.116, or seek nuisance abatement and injunction in Superior Court under § 10.28.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a Kitsap County neighbor's noise be at my house?
Does Kitsap County's decibel table apply inside Bremerton or Poulsbo?
Do I need a sound meter reading to report a noise violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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