Noise Ordinance Laws by State (2026 Guide)

Noise rules in the United States are mostly local. Quiet hours, decibel limits for homes and construction hours are usually set by your city, town or county code, not by state law. What state law adds is a criminal backstop, most often a disturbing-the-peace or disorderly conduct statute that covers unreasonable noise, such as Ala. Code 13A-11-7(a)(2), California Penal Code 415(2) and New York Penal Law 240.20(2), plus statewide rules on mufflers, exhausts and car stereos, quiet hours in state parks, and limits on what local rules may do to shooting ranges, farms and some businesses.

A smaller group of jurisdictions sets statewide decibel limits or day and night periods, including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. In Connecticut, Maryland and Washington, the state agency's own page sends noise complaints to local government. At the federal level, Congress declared in the Noise Control Act of 1972 that "primary responsibility for control of noise rests with State and local governments" (42 U.S.C. 4901(a)(3)), and EPA says it phased out funding for its noise office in 1982. The table below gives each state's main noise rule, its class and penalty as the statute states them, and its most notable state rule, with a link to the full state guide.

Information last verified on 2026-10-10. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide compares the state statutes and regulations on noise in 49 states and the District of Columbia, as each linked state guide sets them out: disturbing-the-peace and disorderly conduct noise offenses, state noise control acts and agency rules, vehicle muffler, exhaust and car stereo rules, statewide hours, local ordinance powers and state limits on local rules. It also covers the federal layer. The New Jersey guide is not yet published. It does not catalog city or county noise ordinances, which set most quiet hours and decibel limits for homes.

Who makes noise rules: city, state or federal

Three layers of law can apply to the same noise, and they do different jobs.

Local ordinances carry most of what people mean by noise rules: quiet hours, decibel limits at a property line, construction hours, barking dogs, parties and amplified music. States hand cities and counties that power in their codes. North Carolina, for example, lets every city and county "regulate, restrict, or prohibit the production or emission of noises or amplified speech, music, or other sounds that tend to annoy, disturb, or frighten its citizens" (G.S. 160A-184, 153A-133), and Nevada empowers counties and cities to "regulate, control and prohibit, as a public nuisance, excessive noise" (NRS 244.363, 268.412).

State law adds a criminal offense for unreasonable noise in most states, statewide vehicle rules, quiet hours in state parks, and in some states a full noise control act with decibel limits. It also sets the outer limits for local rules: caps on ordinance penalties, floors or ceilings on local decibel limits, and carve-outs for shooting ranges, farms and some businesses.

Federal law is narrow. The Noise Control Act of 1972 covers products in commerce, interstate rail and motor carriers and federal coordination; other federal rules cover aircraft, workplaces, federally funded highway and housing projects and federal parks and forests. None of them sets quiet hours for a home or gives a resident a federal complaint route against a neighbor; the federal section below explains what those rules cover.

Quiet hours: where they come from

In most of the states covered here, quiet hours for homes are a local matter: the state guides point to city, town and county ordinances for them. A few jurisdictions do set statewide day and night periods, and they are worth knowing because they tie decibel limits to the time of day:

• Delaware: the state noise regulation defines night as 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., bars any "noise disturbance," and limits construction tools and lawn and garden equipment at night near homes (7 DE Admin. Code 1149). DNREC and every police agency in the state may enforce it (7 Del. C. 7108).
• District of Columbia: under the noise regulations, nighttime is 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (20 DCMR 2799.1), while the disorderly conduct statute covers unreasonably loud noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is likely to annoy or disturb people in their residences (D.C. Code 22-1321(d)).
• Colorado: residential-zone limits of 55 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and 50 dB(A) from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (C.R.S. 25-12-103(1)).
• Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington: state rules switch to a lower nighttime decibel limit at 10:00 p.m.

Some states also set statewide hours for particular activities. Arizona and Nevada limit how early local rules may stop construction in summer (see the section on state limits below), Indiana bars off-road vehicles and snowmobiles within 100 feet of a dwelling from midnight to 6 a.m. (IC 14-16-1-23(a)(7)), and Pennsylvania lets municipalities bar consumer fireworks from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. except on protected holiday dates (3 Pa.C.S. 1106). State park campgrounds have their own posted hours, for example 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Ohio, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia, and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Louisiana. Those park rules do not apply to your street.

When noise is a crime: disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct

The state offense that reaches a loud neighbor is usually called disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace or breach of the peace. Most versions share three features: the noise must be unreasonable, the person must act with some mental state (intent, knowledge or recklessness), and the conduct must disturb or risk disturbing others. Arizona's version shows the pattern: a person who "with intent to disturb the peace or quiet of a neighborhood, family or person, or with knowledge of doing so" makes unreasonable noise commits disorderly conduct (A.R.S. 13-2904(A)(2)).

The warning step

Several states make a warning part of the offense, or raise the penalty when the person ignores one:

• Indiana: the offense is making unreasonable noise "and continues to do so after being asked to stop" (IC 35-45-1-3(a)(2)).
• Maine: noise from a private place, such as a home, is a crime only after a law enforcement officer has ordered the person to stop (17-A M.R.S. 501-A).
• West Virginia: the person must persist after a law-enforcement officer asks them to desist, and the offense applies only in listed places such as public places, mobile home parks and apartment common areas (W. Va. Code 61-6-1b).
• Alaska: reckless noise counts only "after being informed that it is having that effect" (AS 11.61.110).
• Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire: a minor offense becomes a more serious misdemeanor when the person persists after a warning or a request to stop (ORC 2917.11(E)(3)(a); 18 Pa.C.S. 5503(b); RSA 644:2, VI).
• Hawaii and Utah: in Hawaii, persisting after a reasonable warning makes the offense a petty misdemeanor (HRS 711-1101); in Utah, the infraction becomes a class C misdemeanor if it occurs after the person has been asked to cease (Utah Code 76-9-102(3)).

States whose disorderly conduct law has no general noise clause

In some states the general disorderly conduct statute does not reach everyday noise at all, which leaves local ordinances and vehicle rules to do the work. Georgia's disorderly conduct statute (16-11-39) lists no noise prong, North Carolina's (14-288.4) has no general loud-noise clause, Virginia's (18.2-415) has no noise element, Michigan's disorderly person statute has no general loud-noise category (MCL 750.167), Louisiana's disturbing-the-peace law reaches noise only when it is aimed at a person in a public place or disrupts worship (La. R.S. 14:103), South Carolina's public disorderly conduct statute has no separate noise element (16-17-530), and Washington's disorderly conduct noise clause covers unreasonable noise within 500 feet of a funeral, burial, viewing, funeral procession or memorial service (RCW 9A.84.030).

Penalties

Penalties vary widely, and the figures below are statutory maximums, not typical fines. Tennessee's Class C misdemeanor carries not more than 30 days or a fine of up to $50, or both (39-17-305(c); 40-35-111(e)(3)); New York's disorderly conduct is a violation with a fine of up to $250 and up to 15 days (Penal Law 240.20, 70.15(4), 80.05(4)); Arizona's is a class 1 misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 (13-2904(B), 13-707, 13-802); and Indiana's is a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days and a fine of up to $1,000 (IC 35-50-3-3). In Missouri a repeat conviction moves up a class: a first peace disturbance conviction is a class B misdemeanor and a second a class A misdemeanor (RSMo 574.010.2). Several states also treat noise that disrupts a funeral or memorial service more seriously, such as Indiana (a Level 6 felony if committed within 500 feet of, and adversely affecting, a funeral, burial, viewing, funeral procession or memorial service, IC 35-45-1-3(c)) and Oregon (a Class A misdemeanor within 200 feet of a funeral service, ORS 166.025(2)(b)).

Noise ordinance laws by state: comparison table

The table gives each state's main statewide noise rule, its class and penalty as the statute or court schedule states them (maximums are marked "up to"), and one notable state rule. Local ordinances add quiet hours and decibel limits in most places and are not listed here.

State noise control acts and agencies

A state noise act on the books does not always mean a state office will take your complaint. The official sources for these states say:

Two other state rules are easy to misread. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection noise rule (06-096 C.M.R. ch. 375, section 10) sets hourly limits for proposed developments the department reviews, not for disputes between neighbors. Indiana's Environmental Rules Board may adopt noise limits, but IC 13-17-3-15 itself sets none.

What to do about a loud neighbor

The state guides point to the same few routes, in roughly this order.

1. Find the local rule. Quiet hours, decibel limits and construction hours are in your city, town or county code of ordinances, usually in a chapter on noise or nuisances. The clerk's office can point you to it. If you live outside city limits, the county code (or a township code, in states such as Ohio) may apply instead.

2. Call the right office. For noise that is happening now, the local police non-emergency line is the usual contact; call 911 only for an emergency. Several state agencies say the same thing: Minnesota's Pollution Control Agency sends community noise such as loud cars, bars and parties to local law enforcement, Illinois's Pollution Control Board suggests reporting a noise concern to the local police or health department, and Hawaii's Department of Health does not handle loud gatherings, which go to the police under the disorderly conduct statute. Ongoing problems, such as a business's equipment or construction outside allowed hours, often go to the city or county code enforcement office.

3. Know what the police can charge. Depending on the state, the officer may cite under the local ordinance or the state disturbing-the-peace law. In states with a warning step (Indiana, Maine, West Virginia and others above), a first visit may end with a request to stop, and continuing after it is what makes the conduct an offense or a more serious one. Hawaii's statute also makes the renter, resident or owner-occupant who knowingly or negligently consents to unreasonable noise guilty of a noise violation (HRS 711-1101).

4. If the neighbor rents, involve the landlord. Several state landlord-tenant acts require tenants not to disturb neighbors, which gives the landlord a lease remedy:

• Arizona: tenants must conduct themselves so as not to disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of the premises (A.R.S. 33-1341(7)).
• Arkansas: tenants must not disturb other tenants' peaceful enjoyment of the premises (Ark. Code 18-17-601(7)).
• Montana: tenants must not disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment (MCA 70-24-321(1)(f)), and a landlord may give a 14-day written notice ending the lease for a breach (70-24-422(1)(d)).
• Nebraska: tenants must conduct themselves, and require their guests to conduct themselves, so as not to disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment (Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-1421(7)).
• Nevada: tenants must not disturb a neighbor's peaceful enjoyment of the premises (NRS 118A.310(1)(g)).
• Oregon: a material violation of the tenant's duty not to disturb neighbors is cause for a 30-day termination notice that the tenant can cure in most cases (ORS 90.325(1)(g), 90.392).

Each state's rules are in our landlord-tenant laws by state guides.

5. Consider a nuisance claim. Persistent noise can be a private nuisance, which is a civil claim. In Minnesota, South Dakota and Washington, any person whose property is injuriously affected or whose personal enjoyment is lessened by a nuisance may sue (Minn. Stat. 561.01; SDCL 21-10-9; RCW 7.48.020), and Alaska defines a private nuisance as a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use or enjoyment of real property (AS 09.45.230, 09.45.255). Some states narrow these suits: Kentucky's private nuisance statutes judge noise by a person of ordinary health and normal sensitivities, bar damages for annoyance or discomfort and require an ownership or possessory interest to sue (KRS 411.550, 411.560). Montana rewrote its private nuisance law by a 2025 act for claims arising on or after October 1, 2025 (MCA 27-30-303, 27-30-305), and Utah's H.B. 591 (2026) abrogated common law nuisance suits and moved them into a new Title 78B, Chapter 6a (78B-6a-102). A few states let residents act directly against a public nuisance: in New Mexico any public officer or private citizen may sue to abate one, and a losing defendant generally pays the complainant's attorney fee (NMSA 30-8-8), and in Arkansas any citizen of a city may sue in circuit court to enjoin a common nuisance that disturbs the peaceful use of nearby property, unless the conduct conforms to city ordinances (Ark. Code 14-54-1502, 14-54-1503(b)). In Colorado, any resident may sue to enforce the state decibel limits (C.R.S. 25-12-104).

Loud cars, exhausts and car stereos

Vehicle noise is where state law does the most direct work. Every state guide in this set describes a statewide muffler or exhaust rule, and the District of Columbia regulates altered exhausts (20 DCMR 2812). At least the thirteen states in the table below also have a car stereo rule with a distance or decibel test.

Car stereo rules

Two details matter in practice. The Florida Supreme Court held an earlier version of Florida's 25-foot rule unconstitutional in State v. Catalano (2012); the Legislature amended 316.3045 in 2022, and the amended section is current law. In New Hampshire, for noise from a vehicle's sound system, a police officer counts as the "person of average sensibilities" the disorderly conduct statute requires and may act on detecting the noise or on a complaint (RSA 644:2, III-a).

Mufflers, exhausts and decibel limits

The standard rule requires a muffler in good working order that prevents excessive or unusual noise and bans cutouts and bypasses, as in Alabama (32-5-216(a)) and Kansas (8-1739(a)). Some states attach numbers:

• California: exhaust at 95 dBA or less complies for passenger vehicles under 6,000 lb GVWR other than motorcycles (Vehicle Code 27151).
• Idaho: excessive or unusual noise is defined for cars and motorcycles as over 92 decibels on the A scale at 20 feet, or a lower level set by law or rule (Idaho Code 49-106(8)).
• Montana: a motor vehicle's exhaust may not emit a noise above 95 decibels under SAE standard J1169; motorcycles and quadricycles are covered by a separate section (MCA 61-9-435, 61-9-418).
• Michigan: 82 dBA where the speed limit is over 35 mph and 76 dBA where it is 35 mph or less, measured at 50 feet, for vehicles outside the separately listed classes (MCL 257.707c).
• Rhode Island: 86 dBA in speed zones of 35 mph or less and 90 dBA above that, measured at 50 feet (R.I. Gen. Laws 31-45-1).
• Massachusetts: road motorcycles may not exceed 82 decibels in zones of 45 mph or less, or 86 decibels in faster zones, measured at 50 feet (G.L. c. 90, s. 7U).

Ticket amounts are often modest: Iowa's scheduled fine for a muffler or horn violation is $30 (805.8A(3)), Kansas's uniform schedule lists $45 for a defective muffler (8-2118(c)), and Virginia's uniform fine schedule lists a $30 fine plus a $51 processing fee, $81 on the schedule, before court costs. Repeat straight-pipe violations cost more in New Hampshire, with minimum fines of $100, $250 and $500 within a calendar year (RSA 266:59, IV).

Noise cameras

Maryland and Virginia have authorized automated noise enforcement. Maryland lets Montgomery and Prince George's counties run up to three noise cameras each, with a warning for a first offense and a civil penalty of up to $75 after that, until June 30, 2028 (Transportation 22-612). A 2026 Virginia pilot lets localities in Planning Districts 8, 9 and 15 use noise abatement monitors for exhaust over 95 dBA, with a civil penalty of up to $100, until the section expires July 1, 2028 (Va. Code 46.2-1051.1).

Boats, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles

States also regulate recreational engines. Missouri and Tennessee cap motorboats at 86 decibels measured 50 feet away (RSMo 306.090.1; Tenn. Code Ann. 69-9-302(a)), Nebraska at 96 decibels measured at 100 feet or more on plane (37-1253), and North Dakota bars boat noise above 88 decibels for more than 10 minutes between midnight and 5 a.m. (20.1-13-07.1). Minnesota fines a snowmobile without a working muffler at least $250 for a first offense (Minn. Stat. 84.871).

How state law limits local noise rules

Cities and counties write most noise rules, but state law often decides what those rules can reach.

Shooting ranges

The state guides describe statutory noise or nuisance protection for shooting ranges in 48 of the 49 states covered (every state except Hawaii), usually for a range that complied with the noise rules in force when it began operating. Examples include Florida (823.16(2)), Georgia (41-1-9(c)), Kansas (58-3222(a)), Kentucky (237.210), North Carolina (14-409.46(b)) and Tennessee (39-17-316(b)). Some states go further:

• Alaska: the state or a municipality may not regulate the outdoor noise level of qualifying sport shooting facilities and private airports (AS 34.75.030(a)).
• Arizona: outdoor range noise may not exceed an Leq(h) of 64 dBA, and city, town, county and other state noise standards are preempted as applied to those ranges (A.R.S. 17-602).
• Missouri: owners and users of firearm ranges are immune from criminal and civil liability for noise from the range (RSMo 537.294).
• Oklahoma: a range cannot be penalized, enjoined or sued over its noise if the noise at its property line is not over 150 decibels (63 O.S. 709.2).
• South Carolina: no county, municipal or state noise rule may require a range to limit or eliminate shooting that occurred on a regular basis before January 1, 2000 (31-18-40(A)).

Some states pair the shield with hours limits. Massachusetts ranges exempt from noise liability may not operate from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. unless the local governing body allows it (G.L. c. 214, s. 7B); New York bars ranges from operating between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM unless a local law specifically allows it (General Business Law 150); and Nebraska lets a city, county or village limit when an outdoor range operates between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (37-1308).

Farms

Right-to-farm laws keep established agricultural operations from becoming nuisances when neighbors move in or conditions change. Examples: Georgia (a farm in operation two years or more, unless the nuisance results from negligent, improper or illegal operation, O.C.G.A. 41-1-7(d)), Minnesota (a qualifying agricultural operation in an agriculturally zoned area after two years, Minn. Stat. 561.19), New York (a practice the agriculture commissioner has found, in an opinion issued on request, to be a sound agricultural practice is not a private nuisance on land in an agricultural district or receiving an agricultural assessment, Agriculture and Markets Law 308(3)) and South Dakota (suits only by an owner or lessee within one mile who proves noncompliance with a law by clear and convincing evidence, SDCL 21-10-25.10). New Hampshire goes further for noise specifically: towns and cities may not enforce a rule regulating noise from farm activities, other than agritourism (RSA 31:39, I(n); 47:17, XX).

Construction, equipment and businesses

• Arizona: from May 1 to October 15, a city, town or county may not enact or enforce a noise ordinance that prohibits general construction under a valid building permit from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on business days or from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays (A.R.S. 9-500.52; 11-269.30).
• Nevada: since Assembly Bill 478 (2025), a city or county ordinance restricting construction start times must let work on any project more than 300 feet from an occupied residential unit begin by 5 a.m. from April 1 through September 30 (NRS 268.4121, 244.36795).
• Indiana: since 2026, a local government may not restrict or treat lawn mowers, leaf blowers and similar machines differently based on the type of energy that powers them (IC 36-1-3-13(a)(4)), or set a noise limit on digital asset mining by a business in an industrial zone, or in a home in a residential zone, that does not apply to other businesses or homes in that zone (IC 36-1-30.5-3, -4).
• Texas: since September 1, 2025, a safe harbor bars local governments from requiring a sound permit or fee for, or prohibiting, sound at restaurants that meet the conditions in Health and Safety Code 437.029.
• Iowa: a 2025 law limits nuisance suits against racetracks built before the neighbor bought or built (Iowa Code 657.13).
• Michigan: a local ordinance may set hours for consumer fireworks but may not regulate their use after 11 a.m. on listed holiday days, and its only sanction is a $1,000 civil fine per violation (MCL 28.457(2), (3)). See our fireworks laws by state guides for each state's rules.
• Delaware: since 2024, the main subchapter of the Noise Control Act does not apply to noise from a dog or any other animal (7 Del. C. 7105(d)).

Floors, ceilings and penalty caps

States also set the room local rules have to work in:

• Local rules may be stricter but not weaker in Colorado (no less restrictive than the state standards, C.R.S. 25-12-108), Connecticut (at least as stringent as the state plan, 22a-73), Delaware (local ordinances equal to or stricter than the state standards stay in force, 7124) and Maryland (not less stringent, Environment 3-105).
• Local rules may not be stricter in Minnesota (no local maximum sound-pressure standard stricter than the agency's, Minn. Stat. 116.07, subd. 2(c)) or in Michigan for vehicle noise (local vehicle noise rules must be identical to the state's, MCL 257.707e(2)). In Washington, local limits that differ from Ecology's are invalid unless Ecology approves them, and they are deemed approved if Ecology does not act within 90 days (RCW 70A.20.060(3)).
• Hawaii sits between the two: counties may adopt noise ordinances and, in a conflict, the law affording the most protection to the public applies, but an ordinance is not effective to the extent it is inconsistent with a Department of Health noise rule (HRS 46-17).
• Penalty caps: Indiana bars jail for any local ordinance violation and generally caps fines at $2,500 for a first violation and $7,500 for a later one (IC 36-1-3-8(a)(9), (10)); a North Carolina ordinance fine may not exceed $50 unless the ordinance expressly states a higher maximum, up to $500 (G.S. 14-4(a)); Virginia's civil penalty schedule for noise ordinances is capped at $250 for a first offense and $500 for each later one (15.2-980); a Massachusetts town may set penalties of up to $300 for each offense (G.L. c. 40, s. 21); and Iowa cities and counties may enforce civil infractions with penalties up to $750, or $1,000 for a repeat offense (364.22, 331.307).

Colorado shows how these limits play out. In Hobbs v. City of Salida (2025), the Colorado Supreme Court held that the state exemption in 25-12-103(11) covers a permittee only when it is associated with a qualifying entity's use of property for a qualifying event, so Salida could not use amplified sound permits to excuse a venue's concerts from the state limits.

Is there a federal noise law?

Yes, but it does not cover your neighbor. The Noise Control Act of 1972 (42 U.S.C. 4901 to 4918) states Congress's finding "that, while primary responsibility for control of noise rests with State and local governments, Federal action is essential to deal with major noise sources in commerce control of which require national uniformity of treatment" (4901(a)(3)). Every operative standard in the Act and in EPA's noise regulations is tied to a product, an interstate carrier, a federally funded project, an employer or federal land; none sets quiet hours for a home, sets a decibel limit for a neighbor's noise or gives a resident a federal complaint route against a neighbor.

EPA's role today. EPA's history page says: "EPA phased out the office's funding in 1982 as part of a shift in federal noise control policy to transfer the primary responsibility of regulating noise to state and local governments. However, the Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978 were never rescinded by Congress and remain in effect today, although they are essentially unfunded." A noise complaint about a neighbor belongs with your local government, not EPA.

Product and carrier rules that remain. EPA's noise regulations in 40 CFR Parts 201 to 211 are still in the Code of Federal Regulations. They cover interstate rail carriers (Part 201), the vehicles of interstate motor carriers with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds (Part 202), portable air compressors (Part 204), new medium and heavy trucks and new street motorcycles (Part 205), and product noise labeling (Part 211). For new street motorcycles of the 1986 and later model years, the limit is 80 dB(A) for street motorcycles other than a separately defined class (40 CFR 205.152(a)(1)(i)), a standard that applies to motorcycles as manufactured; state and local exhaust rules govern bikes already on the road, and Arizona's motorcycle rule refers back to the federal levels (A.R.S. 28-955.01).

What the federal rules mean for local ordinances. States and cities may not adopt a noise emission limit for a new product EPA has regulated unless it is identical to EPA's (42 U.S.C. 4905(e)(1)), and the rail and motor-carrier sections preempt non-identical state and local standards for the regulated equipment (4916, 4917). But the Act preserves the right of states and cities "to establish and enforce controls on environmental noise (or one or more sources thereof) through the licensing, regulation, or restriction of the use, operation, or movement of any product or combination of products" (4905(e)(2)), subject to the carrier sections. That is the space where quiet hours and local enforcement live.

Aircraft. The FAA certifies aircraft against noise standards (14 CFR Part 36), and 14 CFR Part 150 governs airport noise exposure maps and noise compatibility programs. The United States has "exclusive sovereignty of airspace of the United States" (49 U.S.C. 40103(a)(1)). The FAA's Airport Compliance Manual states that "the federal government has preempted the areas of airspace use and management, air traffic control, safety, and the regulation of aircraft noise at its source," while state and local governments "may protect their citizens through land use controls and other police power measures not affecting airspace management or aircraft operations" (FAA Order 5190.6C, ch. 13). Under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act, an airport noise or access restriction on stage 3 aircraft that was not in effect on October 1, 1990, takes effect only if the airport proprietor and all aircraft operators agree to it or the Secretary of Transportation approves it (49 U.S.C. 47524(c)(1)).

Workplaces. OSHA requires a hearing conservation program when employee noise exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels on the A scale, the "action level," and Table G-16 lists 90 dBA as the permissible exposure for an 8-hour day (29 CFR 1910.95). These are workplace rules for employers, not a measure of whether a neighbor is too loud.

Highways and housing. The FHWA's noise rules apply to Federal and Federal-aid highway projects (23 CFR 772.7(a)); its abatement criteria list 67 dB(A) Leq(h) for exterior residential areas. HUD's siting standards for HUD-assisted housing treat sites not exceeding 65 dB as acceptable, above 65 dB but not exceeding 75 dB as normally unacceptable, and above 75 dB as unacceptable (24 CFR 51.103(c)). These measure different things (an hourly highway level, a day-night average) and are not neighbor-noise limits.

National parks and forests. On National Park Service land, operating equipment or an audio device in a manner that exceeds 60 decibels on the A-weighted scale at 50 feet, or that "makes noise which is unreasonable" in the circumstances, is prohibited (36 CFR 2.12(a)(1)). In national forests, making noise that is unreasonable considering the nature and purpose of the conduct, location and time is prohibited when done intentionally to cause, or recklessly to create a substantial risk of causing, public alarm, nuisance, jeopardy or violence (36 CFR 261.4(c)).

Leases and federal housing law. Quiet-hours and noisy-neighbor duties in a rental come from the lease, state landlord-tenant law and the local ordinance; the federal housing noise rules described above concern where HUD-assisted housing is built.

Noise laws by state

• Alabama noise laws
• Alaska noise laws
• Arizona noise laws
• Arkansas noise laws
• California noise laws
• Colorado noise laws
• Connecticut noise laws
• Delaware noise laws
• District of Columbia noise laws
• Florida noise laws
• Georgia noise laws
• Hawaii noise laws
• Idaho noise laws
• Illinois noise laws
• Indiana noise laws
• Iowa noise laws
• Kansas noise laws
• Kentucky noise laws
• Louisiana noise laws
• Maine noise laws
• Maryland noise laws
• Massachusetts noise laws
• Michigan noise laws
• Minnesota noise laws
• Mississippi noise laws
• Missouri noise laws
• Montana noise laws
• Nebraska noise laws
• Nevada noise laws
• New Hampshire noise laws
• New Jersey noise laws: guide coming soon
• New Mexico noise laws
• New York noise laws
• North Carolina noise laws
• North Dakota noise laws
• Ohio noise laws
• Oklahoma noise laws
• Oregon noise laws
• Pennsylvania noise laws
• Rhode Island noise laws
• South Carolina noise laws
• South Dakota noise laws
• Tennessee noise laws
• Texas noise laws
• Utah noise laws
• Vermont noise laws
• Virginia noise laws
• Washington noise laws
• West Virginia noise laws
• Wisconsin noise laws
• Wyoming noise laws

Related pages

• Landlord-tenant laws by state
• Fireworks laws by state
• All U.S. law topics

This article provides general legal information about state and federal noise laws in the United States, not legal advice. Statutes, regulations, court fine schedules and local ordinances change; the information here was last checked on October 10, 2026. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in your state, or your city or county government.

Last updated: October 10, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a federal noise ordinance?

No federal law sets quiet hours or a decibel limit for a neighbor's noise. The Noise Control Act of 1972 says primary responsibility for noise control rests with state and local governments (42 U.S.C. 4901(a)(3)), and the federal rules that exist cover products, interstate carriers, aircraft, workplaces, federally funded highway and housing projects and federal parks and forests.

What are the quiet hours in my state?

In most states, quiet hours for homes come from your city, town or county ordinance, not state law. Delaware is an exception: its statewide noise regulation defines night as 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (7 DE Admin. Code 1149), and the District of Columbia's noise regulations treat 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. as nighttime (20 DCMR 2799.1).

Which states have statewide decibel limits?

Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington set statewide limits. Colorado's residential limits are 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 50 dB(A) from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (C.R.S. 25-12-103(1)), and Maryland's are 65 dBA by day and 55 dBA at night (COMAR 26.02.03.02). In Maryland and Washington, local governments, not the state agency, handle enforcement. Illinois and Oregon also have statewide numeric noise limits on the books (35 Ill. Adm. Code 901; OAR 340-035), but neither state's environmental agency runs an active noise program.

Can I call the police on a loud neighbor?

Yes. Unreasonable noise can violate your local noise ordinance and, in most states, the state disturbing-the-peace or disorderly conduct law, such as Ohio Revised Code 2917.11(A)(2) or Pennsylvania's 18 Pa.C.S. 5503(a)(2). Use the police non-emergency line for noise that is not an emergency.

Do police have to warn someone before a noise charge?

In some states, yes, or the warning raises the charge. Indiana requires noise that continues after the person is asked to stop (IC 35-45-1-3(a)(2)), Maine requires an officer's order to stop for noise from a private place (17-A M.R.S. 501-A), and in Ohio and Pennsylvania the offense becomes a more serious misdemeanor if the person persists after a warning.

What is the penalty for disturbing the peace with noise?

It depends on the state. Examples: Tennessee's Class C misdemeanor carries up to 30 days or a fine of up to $50, or both; New York's violation up to $250 and 15 days; Arizona's class 1 misdemeanor up to six months and $2,500. These are maximums; local ordinance penalties are separate.

Is it illegal to play loud music in your car?

In many states, yes, under a distance or decibel test. Examples: 25 feet in Florida (316.3045), 50 feet in California (Vehicle Code 27007) and Tennessee (55-8-193), 75 feet in Illinois (625 ILCS 5/12-611), 100 feet in Georgia (40-6-14), and 70 dB(A) at 25 feet in New York for a vehicle on or within 100 feet of a public highway (VTL 375(47)).

Are loud exhausts and straight pipes illegal?

Every state guide in this set describes a rule requiring a working muffler that prevents excessive or unusual noise, and states such as Alabama (32-5-216(a)), Kansas (8-1739(a)) and New York (VTL 375(31)(a)) ban cutouts, bypasses or exhaust changes that make a vehicle louder. Some states set a number, such as 95 decibels under SAE J1169 in Montana (61-9-435), and New Hampshire sets minimum fines of $100, $250 and $500 for repeat straight-pipe violations (266:59, IV).

Can I sue my neighbor for noise?

Often, yes, as a private nuisance. In Minnesota, South Dakota and Washington, any person whose property is injuriously affected or whose personal enjoyment is lessened by a nuisance may sue (Minn. Stat. 561.01; SDCL 21-10-9; RCW 7.48.020). Some states limit these suits, such as Kentucky, which bars damages for annoyance or discomfort (KRS 411.560). A lawyer licensed in your state can assess a claim.

Can a landlord evict a tenant for being too loud?

Several landlord-tenant acts require tenants not to disturb neighbors, which a landlord can enforce under the lease. In Oregon a material violation is cause for a 30-day termination notice that the tenant can cure in most cases (ORS 90.325(1)(g), 90.392), and in Montana a landlord may give a 14-day written notice for a breach (70-24-422(1)(d)).

Can a shooting range be sued for noise?

Often not, if it complied with the noise rules in force when it began operating; Florida (823.16(2)), Kansas (58-3222(a)) and North Carolina (14-409.46(b)) are examples. Some states still limit hours, such as New York, which bars ranges from operating between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM unless a local law allows it (General Business Law 150).

Can I report a noisy neighbor to the EPA?

EPA is not the place for neighbor noise. EPA says it phased out funding for its noise office in 1982 and that the Noise Control Act is essentially unfunded; noise complaints go to your city or county, usually the police or code enforcement.

Who controls airplane noise?

The federal government. The FAA states that the federal government has preempted airspace use and management, air traffic control, safety and the regulation of aircraft noise at its source, while state and local governments keep land use controls (FAA Order 5190.6C, ch. 13).