information
Portland is a Sanctuary City

Find sanctuary city resources from the City of Portland's Immigrant & Refugee Program, including free legal services and state resources for reporting hate crimes, bias incidents, discrimination, and violations of Oregon's sanctuary laws.

Chapter 18.12 Noises Prohibited

City Code Chapter

18.12.020 Specific Prohibitions.

The following acts are declared to be violations of this Title, but this enumeration may not be deemed to be exclusive, namely:

  1. A.  Noisy animals.
    1. 1.   It is a violation for any animal to unreasonably cause annoyance, alarm, noise disturbance at any time of the day or night by repetitive barking, whining, screeching, howling, braying or other like sounds that may be heard beyond the boundary of the owner’s property or keeper’s property under conditions wherein the animal sounds are shown to have occurred either as an episode of continuous noise lasting for a minimum period of ten minutes or repeated episodes of intermittent noise lasting for a minimum period of thirty minutes. This provision is not applicable to any animals located in a specified animal facility or to livestock owner or keeper, kennel or similar facility, wherein the presence of livestock or the operation of a kennel or similar facility is authorized under the applicable land use and zoning laws and regulations. Enforcement of this Subsection is the responsibility of Multnomah County Animal Control.
    2. 2.   Animals located in an authorized or permitted animal facility. It is a violation for any animal located in a facility subject to a specified animal facility permit, as defined in Subsection 13.10.020 J. of this Code, or to any lawful livestock owner or keeper, kennel or similar facility, wherein the presence of livestock or the operation of a kennel or similar facility is authorized under the applicable land-use and zoning laws and regulations to unreasonably cause annoyance, alarm, noise disturbance at any time of the day or night by repetitive barking, whining, screeching, howling, braying or other like sounds that may be heard beyond the boundary of the owner’s or keeper’s property under conditions wherein the animal sounds are shown to have occurred either as an episode of continuous noise lasting for a minimum period of ten minutes or repeated episodes of intermittent noise lasting for a minimum period of thirty minutes. Enforcement of this Subsection is the responsibility of Portland Permitting & Development or another City entity designated by the City Administrator.
  2. B.  Sound producing or reproducing equipment. Operating or permitting the use or operation of any device designed for sound production or reproduction in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance; or operating or permitting the operating or use of any such device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so as to be plainly audible within any dwelling unit that is not the source of sound; or operating any such device on public property or on a public right of way so as to be plainly audible 100 feet or more from such device provided that a person operating any such device in a City park pursuant to a permit granted by the City Administrator will be in violation only if the device is plainly audible at any point along the park boundary.
  3. C.  Parked motor vehicles. The parking of any motor vehicle of 10,000 pounds GCWR, or more, with the motor or attached auxiliary equipment in operation:
    1. 1.   On a public right‑of‑way, except for reasons of an emergency nature, or
    2. 2.   On private property in such a manner as to be plainly audible within any dwelling unit between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
    3. 3.   This Subsection C does not apply to: commercial construction equipment, the normal operation of vehicles designed and used for commercial transportation of passengers, and vehicles being loaded or unloaded.
Back to top