Bothell, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bothell, WA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Named night window
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (BMC 8.26.060(D))
- Conduct named in 8.26.060(D)
- Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on or near public streets
- Standard
- Unreasonably disturbs peace, comfort and repose of property owners or possessors
- Construction hours
- Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sunday prohibited
- Complaint trigger
- Written statement from two or more persons with separate residences
- Maximum civil penalty
- $250.00 per day for each violation (BMC 11.20.010)
Summary
Chapter 8.26 of the Bothell Municipal Code sets no single citywide curfew for all noise. BMC 8.26.060(D) singles out yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on or near public streets, particularly between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Other subsections bar loud and raucous noise and building sounds that unreasonably interfere with neighbors in the City of Bothell, Washington.
It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession of property to allow to originate from said property, sound that is a public nuisance. The following sources of sound are defined to be public nuisances, except to the extent that they may be specifically exempted by other provisions of this chapter: ... D. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on or near the public streets, particularly between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time and place so as to unreasonably disturb or interfere with peace, comfort and repose of owners or possessors of real property; ... F. The making of any loud and raucous noise which unreasonably interferes with the use of any residential property, school, church, hospital, sanitarium, nursing or convalescent facility; ... H. The creation of frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds which emanate from any building, structure, apartment, or condominium which unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of owners or possessors of real property;
Full Breakdown
The night-hour language in the City of Bothell sits in BMC 8.26.060, the public nuisance and disturbance noises section. Subsection D makes it a nuisance to yell, shout, hoot, whistle or sing on or near the public streets, particularly between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time and place so as to unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of owners or possessors of real property. The 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. window is named as the particular concern, and the same conduct is still a nuisance at any other hour when it unreasonably disturbs neighbors.
Two more subsections apply around the clock. Subsection F reaches any loud and raucous noise that unreasonably interferes with the use of residential property, a school, church, hospital, sanitarium, or nursing or convalescent facility. Subsection H reaches frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds emanating from any building, structure, apartment or condominium that unreasonably interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of owners or possessors of real property.
Other fixed hours in the code sit alongside these. Under BMC 8.26.065, construction noise is allowed Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and is prohibited on Sunday. The community development director cannot extend construction noise hours to Sundays, listed holidays, or between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Temporary home and grounds maintenance on residential property is exempt between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. any day. The home occupation standards in the zoning code, BMC Title 12, bar noise at or above 45 decibels from an accessory building into another residential property outside 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
BMC 8.26.070 lets two or more persons with separate residences in a neighborhood trigger a code enforcement officer's notice to the noise maker, and BMC 8.26.090(A) bars variances from § 8.26.060.
Violations & Fines
Under BMC 8.26.100(B), noise offenses other than motor vehicle operation offenses are civil infractions enforced under Chapter 11.20 BMC, and each day a violation continues or repeats is a separate offense. BMC 11.20.010 sets a maximum civil penalty of $250.00 per day for each violation, which the director can reduce after verified correction. The remedies are cumulative with other claims under the code or common law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fixed quiet-hours curfew in Bothell?
Can I be cited for noise outside 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.?
What starts a noise complaint investigation?
Do apartment and condominium residents fall under the same rule?
Can I apply for an exception to the nighttime noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bothell
How Bothell compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Bothell to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle quiet hours.