Edmonds, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Edmonds, WA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Residential nighttime reduction
- 10 dB(A) off the daytime limit
- Exempt from reduction
- substations, existing water-utility equipment
- Loud unamplified voices at night
- banned as public disturbance
- Quiet zone petition
- 5+ residents, city council hearing
Summary
Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Edmonds cuts the maximum permissible noise level by 10 dB(A) for residential receiving property, and separately bans loud, repetitive unamplified human voices during those same hours as a public disturbance noise. Utility substations and existing water-conveyance equipment are exempt from the nighttime reduction.
5.30.050 Modification to maximum permissible sound levels. ... The maximum permissible sound levels established by this chapter shall be reduced or increased by the sum of the following: A. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the noise levels shall be reduced by 10 dB(A) for receiving property within residential districts, except for noise from electrical substations and existing stationary equipment used in conveyance of water by a utility. ... 5.30.130 Public disturbance noises. It is unlawful for any person knowingly to cause or make, or for any person in possession of property knowingly to allow to originate from the property, unreasonable noise which disturbs another, and to refuse or intentionally fail to cease the unreasonable noise when ordered to do so by a police officer. Public disturbance noises shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following sounds or combinations of sounds: ... ... D. Loud and frequent, repetitive or intermittently continuous sounds made by the unamplified human voice or voices between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Edmonds enforces quiet hours through two linked provisions. , meaning the already-strict 55 dB(A) residential-to-residential daytime cap effectively drops to 45 dB(A) overnight. The reduction does not apply to noise from electrical substations or existing stationary equipment used to convey water by a utility, both of which keep operating at daytime levels around the clock. as one of the enumerated public disturbance noises, regardless of decibel measurement. 200, requiring five or more residents from different households in a neighborhood to sign a petition and the city council to hold a public hearing before signs are posted; Sunset Avenue North between Edmonds Street and Caspers Street is the one quiet zone currently scheduled in the code. 120 for construction and similar work, processed as a Type 1 permit balancing public convenience, safety and cost.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the reduced nighttime decibel limit, or making loud repetitive unamplified noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. after being ordered to stop by a police officer, violates ECC 5.30.050 and 5.30.130. Under ECC 5.30.150, penalties escalate within a calendar year: a $100.00 civil infraction for the first violation, $250.00 for the second, and a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail for a third.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do quiet hours start in Edmonds?
Can I get in trouble for loud talking or shouting outside at night?
Are any noise sources exempt from Edmonds' nighttime reduction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
How Edmonds compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle quiet hours.