A solenoid device has a solenoid and a control portion. The solenoid has a body, a plunger, an attracting coil, a retaining coil, and a biasing member. The plunger is arranged selectively either in an attracted position, pulled into the body, or in a returning position, protruding out of the body. Fed with a voltage, the attracting coil generates an attracting force causing the plunger to move from returning position to attracted position. Fed with a voltage, the retaining coil generates a retaining force, weaker than the attracting force, causing the plunger to move to attracted position. The biasing member biases the plunger toward returning position. The control portion controls operation of the solenoid. When moving the plunger from returning position to attracted position, the control portion first starts applying the voltage to the retaining coil and then starts applying the voltage to the attracting coil.