Seattle, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Seattle, WA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Weekday quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Weekend/holiday quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Nighttime reduction
- 10 dB(A) off the Table A limit
- Pure-tone add-on reduction
- Additional 5 dB(A) (except substations)
- First-citation penalty
- $150 (SMC 25.08.960)
Summary
Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays, SMC 25.08.420 cuts Seattle's exterior sound level limits by 10 dB(A) for any noise reaching a residential district: a mandatory quiet-hours reduction layered on top of the Table A limits in SMC 25.08.410.
A.Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. during weekdays, and between the hours of 10 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays, the exterior sound level limits established by Section 25.08.410 are reduced by 10 dB(A) where the receiving property lies within a residential district of the City.B.For any source of sound that has a pure tone component, the exterior sound level limits established by this subchapter are reduced by 5 dB(A); provided, however, this 5 dB(A) reduction shall not be imposed on any electrical substation.C.For any source of sound that is impulsive and not measured with an impulse sound level meter, the exterior sound level limits established by this subchapter are reduced by 5 dB(A).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
410 are automatically reduced by 10 dB(A) wherever the receiving property lies within a residential district. Subsection B adds a further 5 dB(A) reduction for any sound source with a pure tone component, at any hour, though that extra cut is never imposed on electrical substations. Subsection C reduces the limit by another 5 dB(A) for impulsive sound that isn't measured with an impulse sound level meter. 550 carves out two narrow exemptions from the nighttime reduction specifically: sounds from existing stationary equipment used to convey water by a utility, and sounds from existing electrical substations, both of which stay at the daytime limit around the clock.
m. m. 420 applies objectively to any noise source, party-related or not, once it crosses into a residential district at night. 420 through the same citation schedule used for the base Table A limits.
Violations & Fines
A source that stays within the daytime Table A limit but exceeds it once the mandatory 10 dB(A) nighttime reduction applies violates SMC 25.08.420. SDCI issues citations under SMC 25.08.960: $150 for a first violation, $300 for a second, $600 for a third or subsequent violation, with civil penalties up to $1,300 per day available as an alternative under SMC 25.08.800.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Seattle's official noise quiet hours?
Does the nighttime reduction apply everywhere in Seattle?
Is a pure tone like a hum held to a stricter nighttime limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
How Seattle compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Seattle 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.