Vancouver, WA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Vancouver, WA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- VMC 20.450.040(C)(1), Environmental Noise
- Where noise is measured
- At the property line of the receiving property
- Table 20.450.040-1 range
- 55 dBA to 70 dBA by noise source and receiving property
- Quiet hours reduction
- Ten decibels lower between 10 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
- Short exceedance
- Up to 5 dBA over for 15 minutes in any hour
- Outdoor construction hours
- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week
- Footnote 1 on the 55 dBA figure
- Applicable to Home Occupation related activities only
Summary
Vancouver, Washington measures noise at the property line of the receiving property and caps it with Table 20.450.040-1, a grid of maximum levels from 55 dBA to 70 dBA that depends on whether the noise source and the receiving property are residential, commercial or industrial. Between 10 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. every table limit drops by ten decibels. Outdoor construction is confined to 7 a.m. through 8 p.m., seven days a week.
Environmental Noise. Unless otherwise exempted by WAC 173-60-050, no development or use may create noise impacts, measured at the property line of the receiving property that exceed the maximum environmental noise levels established by WAC 173-60-050 listed in Table 20.450.040-1 below. ... such as in a Mixed-Use Building Type, the more restrictive standard shall apply. ... TABLE 20.450.040-1. MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE NOISE LEVELS Noise Source Receiving Property Residential Commercial Industrial Residential 55 dBA1 57 dBA 60 dBA Commercial 57 60 65 Industrial 60 65 70 1 Applicable to Home Occupation related activities only. a. The above maximum noise levels shall be reduced by ten (10 dBAs) decibels between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for the receiving property. Also, at any hour of the day or night the applicable noise limitations above may be exceeded for any receiving property by no more than five (5 dBA) decibels for a total of fifteen (15) minutes in any one (1) hour period, or ten (10 dBA) decibels for a total of five (5) minutes in any one (1) hour period, or fifteen (15 dBA) decibels for a total of one and a half (1.5) minutes in any one (1) hour period.
Full Breakdown
The rule sits in Chapter 20.450 VMC, Additional Development Standards, part of Title 20, the Land Use and Development Code (in effect July 31, 2026). Section 20.450.040(C)(1), Environmental Noise, bars any development or use from creating noise impacts, measured at the property line of the receiving property, that exceed the maximum environmental noise levels in Table 20.450.040-1. Those levels are the ones established by WAC 173-60-050, and the section carves out anything WAC 173-60-050 exempts.
The table lists the noise source down the left side and the receiving property across the top. A residential source is held to 55 dBA at a residential receiving property, 57 dBA at a commercial one and 60 dBA at an industrial one. A commercial source is held to 57, 60 and 65. An industrial source is held to 60, 65 and 70. The 55 figure carries footnote 1, which reads: Applicable to Home Occupation related activities only.
The table's three labels tie back to the use categories of Chapter 20.430 VMC. Residential means the residential uses of 20.430.040(A)(1). Commercial covers active retail uses under (A)(3), civic and institutional uses under (A)(2), passive retail uses under (A)(4) and office uses under (A)(5). Industrial covers industrial uses under (A)(6) and infrastructure uses under (A)(7). When more than one listed use exists on a property, for the noise source or for the receiving property, as in a Mixed-Use Building Type, the more restrictive standard applies.
Quiet hours come from subparagraph a. The table limits are reduced by ten decibels between 10 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for the receiving property. At any hour of the day or night the applicable limit can be exceeded at a receiving property by no more than 5 dBA for a total of 15 minutes, 10 dBA for a total of 5 minutes, or 15 dBA for a total of one and a half minutes, in any one hour.
Subparagraph d. sets the construction window: outdoor construction activity, including construction staging, occurs no earlier than 7 a.m. and no later than 8 p.m., seven days a week. Under subparagraph b., noise mitigation can be attached through the applicable review process once potential impacts to adjacent uses are identified, including a sound wall or fence, reoriented buildings, parking and loading areas, or berms and landscaping. Subparagraph c. requires sound walls to meet the design standards of VMC 20.450.020, Fences and Walls.
Violations & Fines
Compliance is the continuing responsibility of the property owner and operator under 20.450.040(B)(3). For new developments and modifications, the Planning Official can require evidence of compliance and copies of necessary permits, and can impose conditions to secure compliance. For an existing use, the Code Enforcement Official acts on a complaint: once an investigation confirms a violation, conditions can be imposed to bring the use into compliance. Subparagraph e. states that no right exists to keep operating a use that fails the noise standards, even one that predates the ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the quiet hours for noise in Vancouver, WA?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vancouver
Compare Vancouver to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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