Sechelt noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines

What are the noise rules and quiet hours in Sechelt?

Sechelt, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

In Sechelt, noise that unreasonably disturbs others is not allowed at any time. Sleep-disturbing noise is barred before 7 a.m. or after 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and before 9 a.m. or after 11 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Construction noise has its own hours.

Key facts

General rule	No one may cause or permit noise, at any time, in a public or private place. Noise means sound that is loud, harsh or undesirable and unreasonably disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment or comfort of the neighbourhood or a person nearby. Owners and occupiers may not let their property be used so that sound from it is noise.Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, ss. 2 and 3(1), 3(2) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No person shall at any time cause, or permit to be caused, noise in or on a public place, Noise means any sound that is loud, harsh or undesirable and which unreasonably disturbs the permit that property to be used so that sound emanating from it constitutes noise.
Quiet hours	Noise that unreasonably interrupts, or would tend to interrupt, a person's sleep is not allowed Monday to Saturday before 7 a.m. or after 11 p.m., or on a holiday (which includes Sundays) before 9 a.m. or after 11 p.m. Exception: the night of December 31 until 1 a.m. on January 1.Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, s. 4(1)(f); Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, s. 2 Holiday · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No person shall cause or permit noise of any kind, which by its nature is on a Monday to Saturday before 0700 hours or after 2300 or on a holiday before 0900 hours or after 2300 hours; except on the night of December 31st and until 0100 hours on the morning of January 1st. Holiday includes Sunday, Canada Day, Victoria Day
Construction hours	Construction that makes noise is not allowed Monday to Saturday before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m., or on a holiday (includes Sundays) before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. A business may not do noisy construction at all on a holiday. Authorized staff may approve construction noise with conditions.Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, s. 4(1)(d), (e), (g)(iii) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No person shall, on a Monday to Saturday inclusive before 0700 hours or after 2100 hours, or on a Holiday before 0900 hours or after 1700 hours, engage in or permit No person shall, as a business, engage in or permit construction on property so as to staff person authorized by Council at his discretion may approve construction noise
Other limits	No decibel limits. Specific rules cover sound equipment, animal cries (barking, howling, birds and fowl), and machines (generators, power tools, lawnmowers, vehicles) that create noise. Emergency work is exempt if urgently needed to protect life, health, property or highways. Council can permit amplified sound with a Temporary Use Permit; amplified sound can be permitted at Special Events on District land.Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, ss. 4(1)(a) to (c), 4(1)(g), 5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Sound equipment noise Animal Cries Machine Noise may be permitted by Council in conjunction with issuance of a Temporary Use Permit. a person may perform work of an emergency nature in a manner that creates noise
Who to call, business hours	Bylaw Enforcement, District of Sechelt: 604.885.1986 ext. 2 (Municipal Hall hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.).Contacts directory; Bylaw Enforcement, Bylaw Enforcement page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Bylaw Enforcement T: 604.885.1986 ext. 2 Bylaw Enforcement Online Complaint Form
Who to call, after hours	RCMP non-emergency line: 604-885-2266.Bylaw Enforcement, Bylaw Enforcement page; Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, s. 6(1) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording To report an issue outside of operating hours, please call the RCMP non-emergency line at 604-885-2266. This bylaw may be enforced by an officer of the local detachment of the RCMP,
Fine	Bylaw notice amounts: noise that disturbs $200; sound equipment noise $200; excessive animal noise $200; machine noise $200; causing disturbance (quiet hours) $200; construction noise $400; business construction noise on a holiday $400.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026), Schedule A, Noise Bylaw · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 519, 2012 Section 3 Noise which disturbs $200 No Sound equipment noise $200 No Excessive animal noise $200 No Machine Noise $200 No Construction Noise $400 No Business construction noise on a holiday $400 No Causing disturbance $200 No
Bylaw	District of Sechelt Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the “District of Sechelt Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012”.

How it works

Under the Noise Bylaw 519, no one may cause or permit noise, at any time, in a public or private place. Noise means sound that is loud, harsh or undesirable and unreasonably disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment or comfort of the neighbourhood or a person nearby. Owners and occupiers may not let their property be used so that sound from it is noise.

Hours

Sleep-disturbing noise: not allowed Monday to Saturday before 7 a.m. or after 11 p.m., or on a holiday (which includes Sundays) before 9 a.m. or after 11 p.m. On the night of December 31 the limit is 1 a.m. on January 1.
Construction noise: not allowed Monday to Saturday before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m., or on a holiday before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. A business may not do noisy construction at all on a holiday. Authorized staff may approve construction noise with conditions.

Good to know

There are no decibel limits. Specific rules cover sound equipment, animal cries (barking, howling, birds and fowl), and machines such as generators, power tools, lawnmowers and vehicles.
Emergency work is exempt if urgently needed to protect life, health, property or highways. Council can permit amplified sound with a Temporary Use Permit, and amplified sound can be permitted at Special Events on District land.
To complain, call Bylaw Enforcement at 604-885-1986 ext. 2 (Municipal Hall hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) or use the online or PDF complaint form. Outside those hours the District's page gives the RCMP non-emergency line, 604-885-2266.
Bylaw notice amounts are in the cost field above. Early and late payment amounts are not set.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Gibsons · Bowen Island · Lantzville · Nanaimo · Lions Bay · West Vancouver

Noise bylaws in British Columbia: quiet hours, construction hours and fines by municipality →

Sources

Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Contacts directory, District of Sechelt (read 2026-11-06)
Bylaw Enforcement, District of Sechelt (read 2026-11-06)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 8 of 8 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.