Kitsap County, WA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC § 10.28.145(4), public disturbance noises
- Who is liable
- Person in possession of the property, not trespassers
- Enforcement trigger
- Complaint from a resident or worker in the affected area
- Enforcing agency
- Kitsap County sheriff's office
- No meter needed
- Sound level meter reading not required to prove violation
- Coverage
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor: up to 90 days jail or $250 fine
Summary
Kitsap County Code § 10.28.145 makes it unlawful to cause, or to let originate from property in your possession, a public disturbance noise, including loud and raucous sound from a social gathering that disturbs neighbors' peace and repose. The county sheriff's office enforces it, and property owners are not liable for noise made by trespassers.
§ 10.28.145. Public disturbance noises. It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession of real or personal property to allow to originate from such property, a public disturbance noise. Provided, that owners or possessors of real property shall not be responsible for public disturbance noises created by trespassers. The following sounds are public disturbance noises: (4) Any loud and raucous sound made by use of a musical instrument, whistle, sound amplifier, or other device capable of producing or reproducing sound which emanates frequently, repetitively or continuously from any building, structure or property, such as sound originating from a band session, tavern operation, or social gathering, and which unreasonably disturb, or interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of possessors of real property in the area affected by such noise;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
146(a). The section opens by making it unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession of real or personal property to allow to originate from that property, a public disturbance noise, while expressly shielding an owner or possessor from noise created by trespassers. Subsection (4) lists loud, raucous sound as one of five defined public disturbance noises: any loud and raucous sound made by a musical instrument, whistle, sound amplifier, or other device that emanates frequently, repetitively or continuously from a building, structure or property, such as sound from a band session, tavern operation, or social gathering, and which unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of nearby property possessors.
For a loud house party or backyard gathering, that language puts the legal duty on whoever possesses the property where the party happens, not on individual guests, and lets a neighbor report it without owning a decibel meter. 146(b) is complaint-driven for this kind of noise: the sheriff's office may act only after receiving a complaint from a person who resides or works in the affected area, unlike vehicle-noise violations under the same section which can be enforced without a complaint. This public disturbance rule governs only the unincorporated area of Kitsap County; Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island enforce their own party-noise ordinances inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
A § 10.28.145 public disturbance noise violation is a misdemeanor under § 10.28.150, punishable by up to ninety days in the county jail, a fine of up to $250, or both, with each day of continued disturbance a separate offense; the prosecuting attorney may instead pursue it as a Class I civil infraction under Chapter 2.116, or as a civil nuisance abatement action under § 10.28.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is legally responsible for a loud party in unincorporated Kitsap County?
Does a neighbor need a decibel reading to report a loud Kitsap County party?
Who enforces Kitsap County's loud party ordinance and how do I report one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
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