Bellevue, WA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle stereo rule
- BCC 9.18.040(A)(1)
- Audibility threshold
- 75 feet or across property line
- Stereo noise fine
- $250.00 civil infraction
- Engine brake ban
- BCC 11.70.140, all hours
- Engine brake fine
- $50.00 traffic infraction
Summary
Bellevue treats a car stereo audible 75 feet away or across a property line as a noise disturbance under Chapter 9.18, punishable by a $250 civil infraction. Engine compression brakes are separately banned on city streets for trucks and truck tractors at any time.
All noise disturbances, defined in BCC 9.18.015 and not exempt under BCC 9.18.020, are prohibited at all times. The content of the sound will not be considered in determining a violation. The following acts are considered to be noise disturbances, if the noise is clearly audible across a real property boundary, or at least 75 feet from the source: 1. Operating or playing, or permitting the operating or playing of, any audio equipment, television set, musical instrument and similar device, whether portable or stationary or mounted on or within a motor vehicle... Engine compression brakes shall not be used at any time on city streets by trucks or truck tractors except public safety emergency vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
040(A)(1) lists 'operating or playing, or permitting the operating or playing of, any audio equipment, television set, musical instrument and similar device, whether portable or stationary or mounted on or within a motor vehicle' as a noise disturbance if it is clearly audible across a real property boundary or at least 75 feet from the source. The content of the sound does not matter to the violation, only its audibility at that distance. 140 bans the use of engine compression brakes, commonly called 'jake brakes,' at any time on city streets by trucks or truck tractors, with the sole exception of public safety emergency vehicles.
18, which turns on measured audibility rather than time of day. 020. Together, these three provisions cover the loud car stereo, the modified muffler, and the compression brake as three distinct sources of vehicle noise in the city.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of BCC 9.18.040, including the loud-stereo disturbance in subsection (A)(1), is a civil noise infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW, enforced by the Bellevue Police Department, with a monetary penalty of $250.00 per citation under BCC 9.18.050(B). Engine compression brake violations under BCC 11.70.140 fall under the general Chapter 11.70 penalty at BCC 11.70.170, a traffic infraction punishable by a $50.00 fine, unless the operator's conduct otherwise supports a misdemeanor charge under the adopted Model Traffic Ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get fined for a loud car stereo in Bellevue?
Are engine brakes (jake brakes) legal in Bellevue?
Does Bellevue have its own muffler law for cars?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
Compare Bellevue to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle vehicle noise.