Kent, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Kent, WA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Nighttime window
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Nighttime reduction
- Table I limits cut by 10 dBA
- Class A daytime cap
- 55 dBA, residential to residential
- Class A nighttime cap
- 45 dBA, residential to residential
- Civil fine
- $250 per day under KCC 8.05.280
Summary
Kent tightens its noise limits at night rather than banning sound outright: KCC 8.05.100(1) cuts the maximum permissible decibel levels in Table I by 10 dBA for any residential (Class A EDNA) property between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. That drops the baseline Class A-to-Class A daytime limit of 55 dBA under KCC 8.05.090 down to 45 dBA overnight.
8.05.100 Deviations. The following deviations from the maximum permissible noise levels are permitted:
1. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the noise limitations of Table I shall be reduced by ten (10) dBA for receiving property within class A EDNA.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
080: Class A is residential and multifamily zoning (SR-1 through SR-8, MR-D, MR-T12, MR-T16, MR-G, MR-M, MR-H, MHP), Class B is commercial, and Class C is industrial and agricultural. 090's Table I then sets the maximum sound level a source may impose on a receiving property, running from 55 dBA (Class A source into Class A receiving property) up to 70 dBA (Class C into Class C). , every Table I limit is cut by 10 dBA for any receiving property in Class A EDNA, so a source that could legally reach 55 dBA at a residential property during the day is capped at 45 dBA overnight.
100(2) also allows brief exceedances of the applicable limit, five dBA for up to 15 minutes an hour, ten dBA for up to five minutes, or 15 dBA for up to 90 seconds, even during the tightened nighttime window. 220 before referring uncorrected violations to the city attorney.
Violations & Fines
A confirmed nighttime violation subjects the property owner or noise source operator to the same KCC 8.05.280 civil fine as a daytime violation: $250, cumulative for each day the excess noise continues after a notice and order. Five separate nighttime or daytime violations within a five-year period elevate to a misdemeanor, adding criminal penalties under KCC 1.01.140 to the accumulating civil fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a set nighttime quiet-hours curfew in Kent?
How loud can a neighbor be after 10 p.m. in a Kent residential zone?
How do I report a nighttime noise violation to the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
How Kent compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Kent 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.