Seattle noise rules at a glance
- Governing code: Seattle Municipal Code, Chapter 25.08 (Noise Control)
- Quiet hours: 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM weekdays; 10:00 PM – 9:00 AM weekends and legal holidays
- How violations are judged: Measured decibel limits
- Construction: General construction 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM weekdays, 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM weekends; impact work 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM weekdays, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM weekends
- Complaints: SDCI / Seattle Customer Service Bureau
How Seattle decides what counts as too loud
Seattle sets limits by the zoning of both the originating and the receiving property, then drops the cap by 10 dBA at night for noise reaching residential land.
Noise limits in Seattle
| Applies to | Daytime | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood Residential, at the property line | 55 dBA typical daytime cap | 45 dBA overnight (10 dBA reduction) |
What's specific to Seattle
- The exact cap depends on the zoning of both properties, so look up both before assuming a figure.
- Impact construction — pile driving, jackhammering — has a much narrower permitted window than general construction.
What Seattle residents most often report
- Impact construction — pile driving, jackhammering — outside its narrow 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM weekday window.
- Residential mechanical equipment such as heat pumps, an area SDCI has published specific guidance on.
- Nightlife noise in Capitol Hill and Ballard.
How to measure it in Seattle
Look up the zoning of both properties before you measure, because the cap depends on both where the sound comes from and where it lands. Then measure at your property line. Overnight, the limit on noise reaching residential property drops by 10 dBA, which is a large change — noise that was compliant at 9:00 PM may not be at 10:30 PM.
Record levels with the free online decibel meter, and log the date, start time and duration with each reading. A phone microphone is accurate to roughly ±2 dB and is not a calibrated instrument — enough to establish a pattern, not enough for an enforcement hearing.
Turn your readings into something you can file
SDCI / Seattle Customer Service Bureau will ask when the noise happens and how long it lasts. A live decibel reading answers neither. Pro records a timestamped session — a ten-minute check or a full night — charts the whole thing, and exports a PDF with the dates, times, duration and the statistics that describe a pattern rather than a moment.
- Timestamped sessions with the recording timezone
- Leq and L10/L50/L90 background levels
- Print-ready PDF report, one click
- Your last 25 sessions, kept on your device
Measurements stay on your device on the subscription plans. A phone microphone is not a calibrated instrument — a session establishes a pattern, and this page is not legal advice.
Penalties in Seattle
$150–$1,000 for a first offence, doubling for subsequent violations.
How to file a noise complaint in Seattle
SDCI enforces the noise code for ongoing sources; SPD non-emergency for parties and immediate disturbances.
Sources
- Seattle Municipal Code, Chapter 25.08 (Noise Control)
- Seattle — SDCI / Seattle Customer Service Bureau
Municipal codes are amended regularly and enforcement practice varies by neighbourhood and agency. This page summarises the code as of 2026-08-02 and is not legal advice — confirm against the linked code before relying on any figure, and consult a lawyer for a dispute.
Noise ordinances in other metros
See all US metro noise ordinances or read how many decibels is too loud.