Tigard, OR Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

The City of Tigard, Oregon sets numeric noise limits in § 6.02.430, and the limit depends on whether the receiving property holds a noise-sensitive unit. A noise-sensitive unit is any building or portion of a building containing a residence, place of overnight accommodation, church, day care center, hospital, school or nursing care center (§ 6.01.020). Measured at the boundary of or within a property with a noise-sensitive unit that is not the source, sound cannot exceed 40 dB between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day or 50 dB between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

At a property with no noise-sensitive unit, where the noise originates from outside the property, the ceilings are 60 dB between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and 75 dB at any other time. Three other tests need no meter: sound plainly audible inside a noise-sensitive unit between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., sound unnecessarily loud inside one, and sound unnecessarily loud at a distance of 100 feet in a park, street or other public place. Measurements are not required for enforcement, but if they are made, § 6.02.420 requires a Type I or Type II sound level meter with at least an A-weighted scale and both fast and slow response, operated by someone trained in its use.

Section 6.02.450 exempts items such as construction, industrial and agricultural sound from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, domestic tools like lawn mowers and leaf blowers in the same hours, chainsaws cutting live trees not exceeding two hours in any 24-hour period, and legal fireworks on July 3, July 4 and the Friday and Saturday of the weekend closest to July 4 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Even exempt construction, industrial, agricultural, domestic tool and chainsaw activity cannot exceed 85 dB on property with a noise sensitive use for more than five minutes in any calendar day (§ 6.02.460). Exhaust brakes are banned at all times except in an emergency (§ 6.02.440(A)).