Chelan County, WA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Muffler requirement
- Working device on every vehicle, § 9.44.040
- Passenger vehicle limit, 35 mph or less
- 76 dBA
- Passenger vehicle limit, over 35 mph
- 80 dBA
- Heavy vehicle (over 10,000 lbs) limit
- 86-90 dBA
- Maximum misdemeanor penalty
- $100 fine or 30 days jail
Summary
Every vehicle operated in unincorporated Chelan County must have a working noise-muffling device under Chelan County Code § 9.44.040, and passenger vehicles cannot exceed 76 dBA at or below 35 mph or 80 dBA above it on public roads under § 9.44.050.
§ 9.44.040. Noise-muffling devices required – Operating noisy vehicles prohibited when. ... Every vehicle operated within this county shall be equipped with a noise-muffling device in good working order and in constant operation except when such a device is technologically not feasible. ... § 9.44.050. Noise level limitations – On public roads. ... Any motor vehicle under ten thousand GVWR or GCWR, with the exception of motorcycles: ... May not exceed seventy-six dBA when operating at speeds of thirty-five mph or less, or eighty dBA when operating at speeds of greater than thirty-five mph, as measured using the pass-by technique as described in Section 9.44.110 of this chapter, or ... § 9.44.200. Violation – Penalty. A ... ny person who causes a vehicle to emit a noise which is proven ... to exceed the levels of Sections 9.44.050, 9.44.060 or 9.44.070, or which violate Section 9.44.040 by the discretion of the law enforcement officer, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars or be imprisoned in the county jail for a period of not longer than thirty days, or both.
Full Breakdown
44 of the Chelan County Code sets both an equipment requirement and hard decibel ceilings for vehicles operating in the county. 040 requires every vehicle to carry a noise-muffling device in good working order and constant operation, bars tire-squealing except in an emergency, prohibits altering a muffler so that noise emissions exceed the chapter's limits, and separately bans operating any vehicle so out of repair or overloaded that it causes unnecessary and excessive noise. 050 then sets the numeric limits for public roads: a standard motor vehicle under 10,000 pounds GVWR or GCWR may not exceed seventy-six dBA at speeds of 35 mph or less, or eighty dBA above 35 mph, measured by the pass-by technique; motorcycles get slightly higher ceilings, and heavier vehicles over 10,000 pounds GVWR or GCWR may reach eighty-six to ninety dBA. m. 190.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the decibel limits of §§ 9.44.050, 9.44.060 or 9.44.070, or violating the muffler requirement of § 9.44.040 at an officer's discretion, is a misdemeanor under § 9.44.200 punishable by a fine of up to one hundred dollars or up to thirty days in the county jail, or both; a violating vehicle is also deemed a public nuisance subject to abatement and must report to the Sheriff's Department within thirty days of conviction for a compliance retest.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelan County
Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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