Skagit County, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Skagit County, WA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Vehicle horn/siren curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Yelling/shouting curfew
- Midnight to 7:00 a.m.
- Enforcing agency
- Skagit County Sheriff's Office
- First violation
- Warning only
- Repeat violation
- $125 civil infraction, then misdemeanor
- Governing section
- SCC 9.50.040(2)(a), (b)
Summary
Unincorporated Skagit County does not set one blanket quiet-hours window; instead SCC 9.50.040(2) bars specific nighttime sounds. Horns or sirens on a motor vehicle are unlawful between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and yelling, shouting, hooting or whistling is unlawful between midnight and 7:00 a.m., when either unreasonably disturbs a neighbor's peace and repose.
(2) It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession or control of property to allow, sound, which unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort, and repose of other property owners or possessors, to originate from the property. ... (a) Horns or sirens attached to a motor vehicle between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. except when used as a warning of danger or as specifically permitted or required by law. ... (b) Yelling, shouting, hooting, or whistling between the hours of midnight and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
50 frames its nighttime restrictions around specific sound sources rather than a single curfew covering all noise. , except when the horn or siren is used as a warning of danger or is otherwise required by law. m. 040(2), where the sound unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort, and repose of another property owner or possessor, so an isolated shout or honk is not automatically a violation. The county layers a second, distance-based restriction on top for audio systems and social gatherings under subsections (2)(c) and (2)(d), each triggered at 150 feet regardless of the hour, and a separate around-the-clock WAC 173-60 decibel ceiling under subsection (1). 030(1). 040(3), covering emergency work, sanctioned parades, permitted park events and similar activities, can excuse sounds that would otherwise fall inside these nighttime windows.
Violations & Fines
Nighttime noise violations follow the same escalating scale set out in SCC 9.50.050 for all of Chapter 9.50. A first offense within the preceding year draws a warning. A second offense in that same year is a Class 2 civil infraction with a $125 fine plus statutory assessments. A third or subsequent offense within the year is a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, 90 days in jail, or both, and a sound-level meter reading is not required to prove the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Skagit County have a single quiet-hours rule that covers all noise at night?
Can I honk my horn after 10 p.m. in an emergency in Skagit County?
What is the penalty for violating Skagit County's nighttime noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Skagit County
How Skagit County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Skagit County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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