Alaska Noise Laws: Quiet Hours, Loud Neighbors and Penalties (2026)

Alaska's main statewide noise law is the disorderly conduct statute, AS 11.61.110. It makes unreasonably loud noise a crime when the person acts with intent to disturb another person's peace and privacy, or with reckless disregard that the noise is having that effect "after being informed that it is having that effect." The offense is a class B misdemeanor with jail capped at 72 hours on a first conviction. Outside state park campgrounds, set quiet hours and decibel limits come from city and borough ordinances, and vehicle exhaust noise is covered by a state regulation, 13 AAC 04.215. To compare other states, see our guide to noise ordinance laws by state.

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

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Alaska state law: disorderly conduct (AS 11.61.110) and the class B misdemeanor sentencing limits in AS 12.55.035 and 12.55.135; the vehicle and off-highway vehicle muffler regulations and the horn regulation (13 AAC 04.215, 04.415, 04.210), the default penalty in AS 28.90.010 and the court bail schedules (Alaska Administrative Rules 43.1 and 43.3); state park campground quiet hours and pet noise (11 AAC 12.230(f), 12.130(b)); municipal general powers (AS 29.35.010); private nuisance actions (AS 09.45.230, 09.45.235, 09.45.255); the noise protections for sport shooting facilities and private airports (AS 34.75.010, 34.75.030); and the tenant duty in AS 34.03.120. It does not cover the text of any city or borough noise ordinance, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation regulations, aircraft noise regulated by federal law, or the law of other states.

Does Alaska have a state noise law?

Yes, in the criminal code. Alaska's disorderly conduct statute contains a noise offense with its own definition of "unreasonably loud" that weighs the location and the time of day or night. Beyond that, state noise rules include vehicle muffler and horn regulations, quiet hours in state park campgrounds, and a statute that shields shooting ranges and private airports from noise claims.

The environmental conservation chapter of the statutes, AS 46.03, does not mention noise, and Title 29, the municipal title, does not use the word either. Within AS 11.61.100 to 11.61.999, the offenses against public order, the word "noise" appears only in 11.61.110.

Disorderly conduct: Alaska's noise crime

AS 11.61.110(a) contains two noise offenses. Paragraph (1) covers noise that reaches someone elsewhere; paragraph (2) covers noise in a public place or on someone else's property:

"(a) A person commits the crime of disorderly conduct if, (1) with intent to disturb the peace and privacy of another not physically on the same premises or with reckless disregard that the conduct is having that effect after being informed that it is having that effect, the person makes unreasonably loud noise; (2) in a public place or in a private place of another without consent, and with intent to disturb the peace and privacy of another or with reckless disregard that the conduct is having that effect after being informed that it is having that effect, the person makes unreasonably loud noise;"

Each paragraph has two routes. Under the first, the person intends to disturb someone's peace and privacy. Under the second, the person acts with reckless disregard that the noise is having that effect, but only "after being informed that it is having that effect." In practice, that means a neighbor who did not intend to disturb anyone falls within the reckless-disregard route only after being told the noise is a problem. Paragraph (1) also requires that the disturbed person be "not physically on the same premises," which is the typical neighbor situation.

Subsection (b) defines the key term:

"(b) As used in this section, 'noise' is 'unreasonably loud' if, considering the nature and purpose of the defendant's conduct and the circumstances known to the defendant, including the nature of the location and the time of day or night, the conduct involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would follow in the same situation. 'Noise' does not include speech that is constitutionally protected."

The test is a gross deviation from reasonable conduct, not a decibel number, and the time of day or night is a listed factor. The same noise can be lawful in the afternoon and unreasonably loud at 2 a.m.

Penalties for disorderly conduct

AS 11.61.110(c) sets the class and limits jail time:

"(c) Disorderly conduct is a class B misdemeanor and is punishable as authorized in AS 12.55 except that a sentence of imprisonment, if imposed, shall be for a definite term of not more than (1) 72 hours if the offense is a first conviction; (2) 10 days if the offense is a second or subsequent conviction."

For other class B misdemeanors, AS 12.55.135(b) allows up to 90 days "unless otherwise specified in the provision of law defining the offense," and 11.61.110(c) does specify a shorter term. Subsection (c) changes only imprisonment, so the fine follows AS 12.55.035(b)(6): a defendant who is not an organization may be fined "unless otherwise specified in the provision of law defining the offense," up to "$2,000 for a class B misdemeanor." Both figures are maximums, not set amounts.

Quiet hours and local noise ordinances

Alaska's cities and boroughs write their own quiet hours and decibel limits. AS 29.35.010 provides that "All municipalities have the following general powers, subject to other provisions of law," including "(7) to enforce an ordinance and to prescribe a penalty for violation of an ordinance." A local noise ordinance, and the penalty for breaking it, comes from the municipality, not the state.

State parks. One state regulation sets quiet hours. Under 11 AAC 12.230(f), "In a sleeping area or campground of a state park between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily or as otherwise posted, a person may not disturb other campers by making excessively loud noises or by the use of a motorized generator, radio, television, or stereo equipment, or any other machinery or device." The court's parks bail schedule (Administrative Rule 43.3) lists $150 for this offense, and a fine on conviction "may not exceed the bail amount." In a developed facility of a state park, "No person may have a dog or other pet that creates excessive noise, a public safety hazard, or unsanitary conditions" (11 AAC 12.130(b)).

To find the rule where you live, look up your city or borough's municipal code (usually published on the municipality's website or available from the municipal clerk) and check its noise or nuisance provisions. A disturbance that also meets AS 11.61.110 can be reported to local law enforcement as disorderly conduct.

Loud neighbors: your options under Alaska law

For a neighbor's noise, Alaska law offers several routes:

• A local noise ordinance, enforced by the city or borough under its own penalties.
• Disorderly conduct under AS 11.61.110, where the noise is unreasonably loud and made with intent to disturb, or with reckless disregard after the person has been informed of its effect.
• A private nuisance suit. AS 09.45.230(a) provides: "A person may bring a civil action to enjoin or abate a private nuisance. Damages may be awarded in the action." Under AS 09.45.255, "'nuisance' means a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use or enjoyment of real property, including water."
• The lease. Under the Alaska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a tenant "may not unreasonably disturb, or permit others on the premises with the tenant's consent to unreasonably disturb, a neighbor's peaceful enjoyment of the premises" (AS 34.03.120(a)(6)). For how leases and landlord remedies work, see Alaska landlord-tenant laws.

Loud cars, mufflers and snowmobiles

Alaska's vehicle noise rule is a regulation, 13 AAC 04.215:

"A motor vehicle must be equipped, maintained, and operated so as to prevent excessive or unusual noise and the escape of fumes into the vehicle. A motor vehicle must be equipped with a muffler or other effective noise-suppressing system in good working order and in constant operation. No person may use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device, or modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which amplifies or increases the noise emitted by the engine of the vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle for use on the highway or a vehicular way or area."

The benchmark is the muffler originally installed on the vehicle: an exhaust change that makes the engine louder than that is barred, with no decibel figure needed. Off-highway vehicles have their own rule in 13 AAC 04.415: "(a) A snowmobile, all-purpose vehicle, or other off-highway vehicle must be equipped with a carburetor intake, exhaust muffler, and an emission-control system in good working order, and may not use a muffler cutout, bypass, or other similar device. (b) An exception to the requirements of (a) of this section may be made under a special racing permit as provided in AS 05.35."

Horns are covered by 13 AAC 04.210(a): a horn must be audible from at least 200 feet, "but no horn or other warning device may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation, give audible warning with his horn, but may not otherwise use the horn when upon a highway or other vehicular way or area."

AS 28.90.010(c) sets the default penalty: "Unless otherwise specified by law a person convicted of a violation of a regulation adopted under this title, or a municipal ordinance regulating vehicles or traffic when the municipal ordinance does not correspond to a provision of this title, is guilty of an infraction and is punishable by a fine not to exceed $300." An infraction "is not considered a criminal offense and may not result in imprisonment" (AS 28.90.010(d)).

The $300 figure is a ceiling; the Alaska Court System's traffic bail schedule, Administrative Rule 43.1, sets the amounts for these regulations: $150 for "Exhaust system improperly modified" and $60 for "Muffler requirements" under 13 AAC 04.215, $60 for off-highway vehicle muffler and emission controls under 13 AAC 04.415, and $60 for horn and warning device requirements under 13 AAC 04.210. Under the rule, "If a person charged with one of these offenses appears in court and is convicted, the penalty imposed for the offense may not exceed the bail amount for that offense listed below." All four are listed as correctable, and a citation for a correctable offense "must be dismissed (or voided) if proof of correction is presented to an inspection official within the time allowed." When a citation is paid without a court appearance, the surcharge in AS 12.55.039 is added, and the bail amounts are doubled for offenses committed in a highway work zone or a traffic safety corridor.

The muffler rule addresses engine and exhaust noise, not car audio. Loud music from a car in a public place can fall under AS 11.61.110(a)(2) when the intent or reckless-disregard element is met, and under a local ordinance where one addresses it.

Shooting ranges, private airports and farms

Sport shooting facilities and private airports. AS 34.75.010(a) provides:

"Notwithstanding AS 09.45.230, AS 11.61.110, and any other state or municipal law, except (b) of this section and except as may be otherwise provided by federal law, a person may not bring a civil or criminal action against a person who operates or uses a sport shooting facility or a private airport facility if the action arises out of the noise level resulting from the normal operation or use of the facility and if the facility (1) was established or began operation before any noise control law applied to the facility; or (2) complies with the noise control laws that applied to the facility when the facility was established or began operation."

The protection covers noise from "normal operation or use" and is subject to subsection (b) and to federal law. Under AS 34.75.010(b), the bar "does not apply to an action that arises out of (1) a contract; (2) a personal injury suffered by a person while on the premises of the facility; or (3) a substantial change in the use of the facility." Separately, under subsection (c), a person may not bring a nuisance action for noise level against a nearby facility "if the facility was established before the person acquired the property, unless the facility substantially changes the use of the facility after the person acquires the property." Under AS 34.75.030(a), "the state or a municipality may not regulate the outdoor level of noise at a facility if the facility is exempt from a criminal or civil action under AS 34.75.010(a)." Subsection (b) adds: "Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a municipality may regulate the noise level produced by a facility."

Agricultural operations. Under AS 09.45.235(a), "An agricultural facility or an agricultural operation at an agricultural facility is not and does not become a private nuisance as a result of a changed condition that exists in the area of the agricultural facility if the agricultural facility was not a nuisance at the time the agricultural facility began agricultural operations." Subsection (c) provides that subsection (a) supersedes "a municipal ordinance, resolution, or regulation to the contrary."

Fireworks noise has its own state rules; see Alaska fireworks laws.

Related pages

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• Alaska landlord-tenant laws
• Alaska fireworks laws

This article provides general legal information about Alaska law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Alaska or your city or borough government.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the quiet hours in Alaska?

Alaska's disorderly conduct statute sets no fixed hours; it makes the time of day or night one factor in deciding whether noise is unreasonably loud (AS 11.61.110(b)). In a sleeping area or campground of a state park, a state regulation bars disturbing other campers with excessively loud noises or a generator, radio, television, stereo or other device from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. or as otherwise posted (11 AAC 12.230(f)). Elsewhere, set quiet hours come from city and borough ordinances, so check your local code.

Is it illegal to be loud in Alaska?

Making unreasonably loud noise is disorderly conduct when done with intent to disturb another person's peace and privacy, or with reckless disregard that it is having that effect after being informed that it is (AS 11.61.110(a)(1), (2)).

What is the penalty for a noise disorderly conduct charge in Alaska?

Disorderly conduct is a class B misdemeanor. Jail is capped at 72 hours for a first conviction and 10 days for a later one (AS 11.61.110(c)), and the class B fine limit is $2,000 (AS 12.55.035(b)(6)).

Does my neighbor have to be warned before a noise charge in Alaska?

The statute has two mental states. Acting with intent to disturb another person's peace and privacy is enough on its own; the reckless-disregard route applies only after the person has been informed that the noise is having that effect (AS 11.61.110(a)(1), (2)).

Are loud exhausts illegal in Alaska?

Yes. A vehicle must have a muffler or other effective noise-suppressing system, and no one may use a cutout or bypass or modify the exhaust so the engine is louder than with the original muffler (13 AAC 04.215). A violation is an infraction, not a crime (AS 28.90.010(c), (d)). The court bail schedule lists $150 for an improperly modified exhaust and $60 for other muffler violations, and the citation must be dismissed if proof of the repair is presented to an inspection official within the time allowed (Alaska Admin. R. 43.1).

Can I sue a neighbor for noise in Alaska?

A person may bring a civil action to enjoin or abate a private nuisance, and damages may be awarded (AS 09.45.230(a)). A nuisance is a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use or enjoyment of real property (AS 09.45.255).

Can a noisy tenant be in breach of the lease in Alaska?

Under AS 34.03.120(a)(6), a tenant may not unreasonably disturb, or permit others on the premises with the tenant's consent to unreasonably disturb, a neighbor's peaceful enjoyment of the premises.

Can I complain about noise from a shooting range in Alaska?

Not through a lawsuit or prosecution if the facility meets AS 34.75.010(a), subject to the exceptions in that section: no civil or criminal action may be brought over noise from normal operation of a sport shooting facility or private airport that was established before any noise control law applied to it, or that complies with the noise laws that applied when it began. The bar does not reach actions arising from a contract, an injury on the premises, or a substantial change in the facility's use (AS 34.75.010(b)), and a person who acquired property after a nearby facility was established may not bring a noise nuisance action unless the facility later substantially changes its use (AS 34.75.010(c)).