Washington Noise Ordinance: Limits, Quiet Hours & How to File a Complaint

How Washington decides what counts as too loud

The District sets maximum permissible sound levels by zoning district and time of day, measured at the property line of the receiving property.

Noise limits in Washington

What's specific to Washington

• For night noise (9:00 PM – 7:00 AM), the regulations do not require a measured decibel level to establish a noise disturbance.
• Limits depend on the zoning of the property where the noise originates as well as where it is received.

What Washington residents most often report

• Construction exceeding the 80 dBA weekday cap or working outside 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
• Amplified go-go and street performance, which has its own contested enforcement history in the District.
• Commercial HVAC and generator noise at residential property lines.

How to measure it in Washington

Measure at your property line, and check the zoning of the property the noise comes from as well as your own — the permissible level is set by the originating zone. Between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM the regulations do not require a measured level at all to find a noise disturbance, so a reading is helpful but not strictly necessary overnight.

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.

Penalties in Washington

Civil infractions under the Noise Control Act, with fines escalating for continued violation.

How to file a noise complaint in Washington

DC 311 routes noise complaints to the Department of Buildings or MPD depending on source.

311 →

Noise ordinances in other metros

See all US metro noise ordinances or read how many decibels is too loud.