Pasco, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Pasco, 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.
- Governing sections
- PMC 9.130.030(3), 9.130.040(2)(b)
- Nighttime decibel cut
- reduced 10 dBA in Class A residential
- Short exceedance allowance
- 5-15 dBA for 90 sec-15 min/hour
- Penalty
- up to $250, $250-500 repeat offense
Summary
Pasco enforces a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. quiet period in residential districts, during which amplified sound, unamplified voices, construction, and power tools become public disturbance noise. Maximum decibel limits also drop 10 dBA at night.
(a) Any sound made by the use of a musical instrument, whistle, sound amplifier, juke box, radio, television, or other similar device which emanates from a building, structure, or property between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and is received within a residential district. (b) Any sound made by the unamplified human voice which emanates from a building, structure or property between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and is received within a residential district.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
and are received within a residential district: musical instruments and sound amplifiers (a), unamplified human voices from a building or property (b), construction, excavation, repair, demolition, or alteration of a building or property (i), and mechanically powered saws, drills, sanders, grinders, lawn or garden tools, air conditioners, fans, or blowers used in residential areas (j). , on top of the daytime limits of 55 to 60 dBA depending on the noise source's zone. 040(2)(c). 010, is to control noise in a way that protects sleep and repose alongside commerce and property values.
Frequent or continuous animal noise reaching a residential district is also listed as a public disturbance noise under subsection (3)(c), without the nighttime qualifier applied to the other categories.
Violations & Fines
Breaching the nighttime restrictions is a civil infraction under PMC 9.130.090: up to $250 per violation, with each day counted separately, and an enhanced penalty of $250 to $500 for a second violation within a two-year period. No jail time applies; the fine is the exclusive penalty. Enforcement of most nighttime categories requires a complaint from an identifiable resident, owner, or employee in the affected area under PMC 9.130.080.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Pasco's quiet hours?
Do nighttime decibel limits differ from daytime?
Is a brief loud noise at night always a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
How Pasco compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Pasco to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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