Short-term rental guests in Puyallup must comply with Puyallup Municipal Code (PMC) Chapter 6.16 (Noise Control), which adopts by reference Chapter 70.107 RCW and WAC 173-58, 173-60, and 173-62. The state limits incorporated into PMC 6.16 set a 55 dBA daytime maximum and a 45 dBA nighttime maximum at the property line of a residential receiving zone (Class A EDNA), with nighttime defined as 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. PMC 6.16 also restricts plainly audible portable and motor-vehicle audio at 50 feet in residential zones. A violation is a civil infraction with a penalty of up to $250.
PMC Chapter 6.16 (Noise Control) adopts by reference Chapter 70.107 RCW (the Washington Noise Control Act) and WAC 173-58, 173-60, and 173-62, and applies them inside Puyallup city limits. The Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement (EDNA) of the receiving property determines the maximum permissible exterior noise level: residential zones, including the city's RS single-family, RM multiple-family, and PDR planned residential development zones, are designated Class A. When both the source and the receiver are Class A residential, the WAC 173-60 limits incorporated by PMC 6.16 set a maximum of 55 dBA during daytime hours and 45 dBA during nighttime hours measured at the receiving property line. Nighttime under WAC 173-60 runs from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Pure tone components reduce the limit by 5 dBA, and the maximum may be exceeded by 5 dBA for no more than 15 minutes, by 10 dBA for no more than 5 minutes, or by 15 dBA for no more than 1.5 minutes in any one-hour period. PMC 6.16 also makes it unlawful, in residential or commercial zones or any area where residences, schools, or human service facilities are in obvious proximity to the source, to operate motor vehicle audio systems or portable audio equipment at a volume that can be clearly heard by a person of normal hearing at 50 feet or more from the source. Puyallup does not have a stand-alone short-term rental ordinance, so STR guests are subject to the same Chapter 6.16 limits as any other resident, and operators are still responsible under WA RCW 64.37.020 for providing 24-hour contact information so neighbors can reach them about disturbances. Active disturbances are reported to the Puyallup Police non-emergency line at 253-841-5415; persistent nuisance patterns may be referred to the city's Code Compliance program.
Under PMC 6.16, a noise violation is a civil infraction with a maximum monetary penalty of $250 per occurrence. Each day a violation continues may be treated as a separate infraction. Repeated, plainly audible motor-vehicle or portable-audio violations under PMC 6.16 are independently citable, and persistent nuisance patterns can support abatement action by the Code Compliance program. STR operators who fail to provide responsive 24-hour contact information as required by RCW 64.37.020 may receive a warning letter and are subject to a class 2 civil infraction under RCW 7.80 for subsequent violations.
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