Quiet hours in Sammamish, WA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Sammamish has no general numeric "quiet hours" curfew in its noise code. SMC Chapter 8.15 bans public-nuisance noise at any time of day rather than between fixed hours. The clearest time limits are on construction (SMC 16.05.030), and Washington's state EDNA rules (WAC 173-60-040) impose a stricter nighttime decibel cap from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Sammamish's Public Disturbance Noise ordinance, SMC Chapter 8.15 (adopted by Ordinance O2002-105), does not set a blanket residential quiet-hour window. Instead it makes it "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" at any hour, and then lists specific nuisance sources such as loud and raucous noise and over-amplified audio. The most concrete time restriction in city code is on construction work: SMC 16.05.030 limits construction to 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and certain holidays, with no construction on Sundays. For ongoing stationary noise, Washington's state environmental noise rules effectively supply a nighttime standard: under WAC 173-60-040, the maximum permissible noise levels for a residential (Class A EDNA) receiving property are reduced by 10 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., dropping the residential-to-residential limit from 55 dBA to 45 dBA. Late-night parties or music that disturb neighbors are typically handled as a public nuisance under SMC 8.15 and enforced by the King County Sheriff, which polices Sammamish.
There is no standalone city quiet-hours citation; instead, noise that disturbs the peace at any hour can be cited as a public nuisance under SMC 8.15.020, carrying a civil fine up to $250 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for repeat offenses within 12 months. After-hours construction violates SMC 16.05.030, and stationary sources exceeding the WAC 173-60-040 nighttime limit (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) may draw state-law enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
sammamish-wa
Sammamish does not prohibit backyard composting, and curbside yard waste/compost collection is available citywide. Curbside garbage, recycling, and yard-wast...
sammamish-wa
Artificial turf is allowed in Sammamish and counts as 'yard area' for landscaping purposes. However, the city's surface water rules (based on the King County...
sammamish-wa
Sammamish encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping and requires it in certain contexts. The landscaping code (SDC 21.07.070) calls for drought-tole...
sammamish-wa
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Sammamish and across Washington. Under a 2009 Washington Department of Ecology policy, collecting rooftop rainwater for on-s...
sammamish-wa
The City of Sammamish runs no water utility and imposes no mandatory citywide watering restrictions. Water comes from special-purpose districts — chiefly Sam...
sammamish-wa
Sammamish does not set a numeric weed-height limit, but its landscaping standards (SDC 21.07.070) prohibit any plant on the King County noxious weed list acr...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how other cities in King County handle quiet hours.
See how Sammamish's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.