What is a Noise Ordinance?
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A noise ordinance is a law created at local levels that pertains to the amount of noise, duration of noise, and source of sounds other than ambient noise that affect a community’s inhabitants. Basically, a noise ordinance defines which sounds are and are not acceptable at any given time so that residents can live comfortably within a community in terms of the sounds that they hear. A city or county noise ordinance is usually effective during certain times of the day. A noise ordinance typically applies at night during the times when most people sleep. Violations of a noise ordinance are often reported to police or local officials by individuals who are disturbed by sound and feel that an ordinance has been violated.
Sounds or noises that are usually defined in a noise ordinance are those commonly produced by residents, but many ordinances also include industrial and commercial facilities if they are located near residential areas. Examples of noises that might violate a noise ordinance are barking dogs, loud music, power tools, cars or motorcycles with excessively loud engines, fireworks or explosives, and shouting. A noise ordinance is designed to keep a community’s residents comfortable in their own homes. In other words, if you can hear noises while trying to sleep and those noises are intentionally caused by other residents in the area, you could report a violation of a noise ordinance. Many people have conflicting views of ordinances that limit sound, with the opposition claiming that such laws violate certain rights.
Noise ordinances are handled differently by every community, with some local officials continually reviewing their community’s noise ordinance and updating it as necessary. Some smaller communities may not enforce a noise ordinance at all. Other communities find that enforcing an existing noise ordinance is difficult because of different interpretations of the law.
You can find out whether there is a noise ordinance in your community by checking with local law enforcement officials or by reviewing your city’s official website. If you believe a neighbor is violating a noise ordinance, officials believe it is best to talk to your neighbor before making an official complaint. If communication fails or is not possible, contact your local law enforcement.
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16
I have a woman as a next-door neighbor. She has three daughters. Two of them are fine; it's the oldest who is the problem. She screams at her mum and sisters at six in the morninga swearing and shouting! Then last night they were doing building work till at least midnight!
My partner works and it keeps him up. I've tried knocking the door but they won't answer me. - anon53292
14
Where does it say you can be loud and stupid in most noise ordinances? We call and call about the neighbor's dirt bikes at 2:00 a.m. also cops always have an excuse for not doing anything. where do my rights start and being a law breaker end? - anon50767
13
I have some folks above my apartment-- I won't even call them neighbors becasue they are people who will make noise at any given time of the day. Anytime at night I can expect thumping, jumping and shoe noises to no end. I do tolerate it for a bit but it's just so much one can bear. Now I notice a crack in my walls. I'm not sure if that's a result of all the thumping and the jumping. What's one to do? - anon50746
12
I have a neighbor across the street that plays his drums in his garage during the week at least two or three times a day, for up to 30 mins each time. Even with his garage closed it still sounds like I'm at a concert and I have to bring the volume up on my tv to drown it out. I've complained to my HOA and all they can do is send letters asking him to stop. I've even called the police but they said to report it to your HOA first. haven't tried to ask him face to face to stop because he's a teenager who won't listen anyway and I don't want any retaliation since I am a single mother with two kids. Someone from the HOA even heard him and they've sent two letters, going on three, to have him stop. I was told if he still continues, the next step is to take it to the Board of the HOA and possibly start legal action. I'm going to record the noise and document all the times he plays so there's evidence. This better work because I'm fed up that I can't relax in my home during my days off! - anon50270
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Noise is unwanted sound. What all of these ordinances fail to quantify is the sound level. Was it measured? What are the sound levels? The trick to challenging the police officer's opinion is to demand a sound level measurement, not just a fat donut eater's opinion. Likewise the donut eaters have the responsibility to obtain accurate measurements, with a calibrated instrument, not just issue a citation, based on good law enforcement. Most police officers lack the emotional or intellectual capacity to conduct a thorough and thoughtful sound level measurement survey before the issuance of a citation. After all they are just cops.
"It's just noisy" is crap. - anon48518
10
To the people who are complaining about noise ordinance laws: hello? they are in effect for a reason. People have children, and most people get up to work early in the morning but guess what! Not everyone keeps the same schedule! Most towns have an ordinance running from 9 p.m.-8 a.m. of "quiet time." Otherwise how the hell would anyone get any sleep? But to the guy complaining about his neighbors talking loudly and whatnot: Come on, dude! You are the reason people complain about these laws. Because you think you should be able to sit on your porch in the middle of the afternoon in *silence* in a town with close neighbors. you're ridiculous. Move to the damn countryside if you want that much peace and quiet. All I'm asking for is that my neighbors aren't blasting music at 4 in the morning and waking my baby up. And I will go and knock on their doors and of course they don't turn it down when I ask nicely, so what am I supposed to do, live with it? Hell no. And I don't feel bad about calling the cops because guess what, at 4 a.m. I got my baby dressed and walked across the street to ask some little of the little creeps nicely to turn their damn music down. That was really nice of me, in my opinion. Next time maybe I should just go smash their windows or something drastic like the first poster says. Oh and to the kid who got the noise ordinance in the park, that just sucks. I completely agree about reporting that jerk, that's just nuts and no reason for it. Rant over. - anon45859
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To daniel pamela, call the city ombudsman's office and lodge an official complaint against the officer for negligence in his duty and illegally towing the vehicle without proper documentation being given. - bugatti
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All too familiar. The cops give tickets to citizens for menial things, yet ignore the real jerks like the ones yelling and setting off fireworks after 11 PM. Get 10 big friends with baseball bats and cream the noisemakers if they do not listen to you about unwanted noise, as they usually are bums that do not work or even own the house the noise is coming from. Only thing is you will get charged, but the noise will stop. I had a similar problem with idiots with dirt bikes after 2:00 a.m. every night. I just took keys and threw them away. The next week I threw one bike in river. The rest of them just stood there and the noise stopped. I guess they thought I was nuts enough to approach five guys that they did nothing in return. - bugatti
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Its the little creeps who call the cops on people who party and play music in their own homes who should get tickets for being the creeps that they are. My damn neighbors called on me tonight just cause this is the first time i forgot to close one of my windows in the basement and some of the sound came outside. You know if you don't like something about the loud music, kindly knock on my door and ask me to keep it down. Don't freaking call the cops just because you're a little "tax paying" citizen. i pay that crap too, but i don't go calling the cops for any little thing that might bother me. People like these are the main reason why i think America is crap. - anon41296
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Go to the local TV and radio stations and tell them your story. They may wish to run an embarrassing problem solvers report in the local market. Police that push their authority over the line should be called out by name and badge number. It's not part of the "Serve and Protect" oath as a public servant. - anon41019
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I live in a duplex, my garage *faces* the street,so my front door is on the side.....I share my living room walls with neighbor,but they are dirty!!! they feed their 3 cats in paper plates right there in the driveway, never clean and there are some cats feces..., but no noises at all....(sigh..) My migraine headaches are the neighbors in front of me, my front door faces their front door, only a wood fence divides us, they play this annoying music with the Boom Boom sound, (like the ones in cars in streets with loud music). I spoke to them twice, called the police once and they don't play it *as* loud, but loud enough to raise your blood pressure, they slam their front door every single time, and they talk loud (on purpose) and play ball right there and I am hearing everything!!!very unhealthy!! and very sad...they rent and I am a homeowner, and yes I complained to the owner of the house but never got a response.....I do not want to talk to them anymore or call the police every other day, and I am afraid of coming to my own house after work and I am afraid of the weekends!!! isn't that ridiculous?
Isn't there something the City of Chula Vista, Ca can do? send a warning letter or something???? or where exactly can I go and do? please help!!! I can not even invite family to visit!! and my daughter is suffering too!!! - noise
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What's the best way to handle the situation with rude neighbors who set off illegal fireworks all night long, even after midnight and who pollute the air as they sit on their deck spouting the F-word several times in every sentence? The police were called twice, but the neighbors didn't care and continued to set off fireworks after they left. I'm exhausted from lack of sleep and plan to talk with the chief of police ASAP to see if any charges can be filed. I'm worried about my safety and retaliation by the offenders, but at this point all I want is a decent night's sleep. What charges can possibly be filed against these ignorant, immature, foul-mouthed people who do not care about others? - anon35343
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well your not the only one.. my situation may not be as bad.. but i was just minding my own business at a skate park listening to music while skate boarding about 12:00-1:00 in the afternoon and a cop on a bike riding the trails comes over to me and gives me a noise ordinance ticket because he could hear it from 30 feet away while sitting on a bench with another cop... What is happening to the world.. next thing u know looking at someone wrong will get u a ticket. - anon32123
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I need to know what to do @ a situation that happened to me this weekend. The harvey, IL police stopped my son for expired tags. Then he told my son that he was going to tow the car for noice ordiance. The radio was not loud @ all. The officers had the car towed and did not give him a ticket and citation. When my husband and I went to the station to complain @ not receiving any paper work. The officer on duty said that the officer did give him the ticket. Which i know is a Lie because myself and my husband pulled up right after the tow truck left and my son had no paperwork in hand. So I have been given the run around @ the whole situation and want to complain @ it. I was told to complain to the Harvey Police dept. The people that have been given me the runaround. yeh Right. If you can help with advice please email me!! Thank you - danielpamela
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Written by
J. Beam
Last Modified: 20 November 2009
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