Indiana Noise Laws: Quiet Hours, Disorderly Conduct and Fines

Indiana's criminal code reaches everyday noise through disorderly conduct, and the noise clause has a built-in warning step. Under IC 35-45-1-3(a)(2), a person who recklessly, knowingly or intentionally "makes unreasonable noise and continues to do so after being asked to stop" commits disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 (IC 35-50-3-3). Quiet hours and decibel limits for neighborhoods are mostly set by city, town and county ordinances under Indiana's home rule law (state law separately bars off-road vehicles and snowmobiles within 100 feet of a dwelling between midnight and 6 a.m.), but state law bars local governments from imposing jail for an ordinance violation and caps ordinance fines (IC 36-1-3-8). State law also requires working mufflers (IC 9-19-8) and limits horn use (IC 9-19-5). 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 Indiana state law on noise: disorderly conduct and its penalties (IC 35-45-1-3, 35-50-3-3, 35-50-2-7); the Environmental Rules Board's noise authority (IC 13-17-3-15); the vehicle horn, muffler and engine brake rules and infraction judgments (IC 9-19-5, 9-19-8, 9-21-8-44.5, 9-21-8-49, 34-28-5-4); the off-road vehicle and snowmobile rules (IC 14-16-1-23, 14-16-1-29); local home rule powers and their limits (IC 36-1-3, 36-1-24-10, 36-1-30.5); shooting range, military base and right-to-farm protections (IC 14-22-31.5, 36-7-4.2, 34-30-21, 32-30-6); large assemblies (IC 16-41-22-9); and civil nuisance actions (IC 32-30-6). Statute text is the 2026 Indiana Code published by the Indiana General Assembly. It does not cover the text of any city, town or county ordinance (including Indianapolis's), Indiana Administrative Code rules, aircraft or workplace noise, or the law of other states.

Indiana noise laws at a glance

Disorderly conduct: the "asked to stop" rule

Indiana's disorderly conduct statute provides:

"Sec. 3. (a) A person who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally: (1) engages in fighting or in tumultuous conduct; (2) makes unreasonable noise and continues to do so after being asked to stop; or (3) disrupts a lawful assembly of persons; commits disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor."

The noise clause has two parts joined by "and." The person must make unreasonable noise, and must continue to do so after being asked to stop. As written, loud noise that stops when someone asks does not meet subsection (a)(2). The chapter does not define "unreasonable noise"; its definitions section defines "tumultuous conduct" only.

Penalty. "A person who commits a Class B misdemeanor shall be imprisoned for a fixed term of not more than one hundred eighty (180) days; in addition, he may be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000)" (IC 35-50-3-3). Those are the maximums.

The offense becomes a Level 6 felony if it is committed within 500 feet of a burial, a funeral procession the person knows is taking place, or a building where a funeral, memorial service or viewing is being held, and it adversely affects that service, or if it adversely affects airport security and is committed in an airport (IC 35-45-1-3(b), (c)). A Level 6 felony carries a fixed term of between six months and two and one-half years and a fine of up to $10,000 (IC 35-50-2-7(b)).

Is there a state noise agency in Indiana?

Indiana's environmental law gives the state Environmental Rules Board the option to regulate noise, not a duty. IC 13-17-3-15(a) provides: "The board may adopt rules and standards prescribing limitations on noise emission. In adopting rules under this section, the board may prescribe that a person may not emit or cause to be emitted any noise that: (1) unreasonably interferes with any lawful business or activity; or (2) is injurious to the health or well-being of any person." The statute itself sets no decibel limit or hours. For a neighborhood noise problem, the rules that apply day to day are the local ordinance and the disorderly conduct statute.

Quiet hours and local noise ordinances

Neighborhood quiet hours, decibel limits and construction hours in Indiana are mostly set by local ordinance. Indiana's home rule statute lets a city, town or county act broadly: "a unit may exercise any power it has to the extent that the power: (1) is not expressly denied by the Indiana Constitution or by statute; and (2) is not expressly granted to another entity" (IC 36-1-3-5(a)).

State law also withholds specific powers from local governments. IC 36-1-3-8(a) lists, among the powers a unit does not have:

• "(7) The power to regulate conduct that is regulated by a state agency, except as expressly granted by statute."
• "(8) The power to prescribe a penalty for conduct constituting a crime or infraction under statute."
• "(9) The power to prescribe a penalty of imprisonment for an ordinance violation."
• "(10) The power to prescribe a penalty of a fine as follows: ... (B) For a violation of any other ordinance: (i) more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for a first violation of the ordinance; and (ii) except as provided in subsection (c), more than seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) for a second or subsequent violation of the ordinance."

In practice, that means a local noise ordinance is enforced with fines, not jail, and the fine stays within those caps. Under subsection (a)(8), a unit also lacks the power to set a penalty for conduct that is already a crime or infraction under a state statute.

To find the rule where you live, open your city or town code (or the county code if you live outside a city or town) and search for "noise." The ordinance will state any quiet hours, decibel limits, exemptions and the fine. Contact the local police non-emergency line or the code enforcement office named in the ordinance to report a violation.

Local noise rules may be enforced against a short-term rental, but only if "enforcement is performed in the same manner as enforcement that applies to similar properties that are not short term rentals" (IC 36-1-24-10(2)).

Off-road vehicles and snowmobiles: a state nighttime rule

State law sets a nighttime noise-related rule near homes. An individual may not operate an off-road vehicle or snowmobile "Within one hundred (100) feet of a dwelling between midnight and 6:00 a.m., except on the individual's own property or property under the individual's control or as an invited guest," or "Unless the vehicle is equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke" (IC 14-16-1-23(a)(6), (7); IC 14-16-1-7). Either is a Class C infraction (IC 14-16-1-29(a)), with a judgment of up to $500 (IC 34-28-5-4(c)).

Lawn mowers and leaf blowers: the 2026 energy-source rule

A 2026 law limits one kind of local equipment rule. P.L.26-2026 added a definition of "outdoor equipment": "a mechanical device that: (1) is powered by a motor; (2) is designed to be used outdoors for the purpose of facilitating or assisting in the performance of tasks associated with: (A) home or lawn maintenance; or (B) construction," which "includes lawn mowers, powered lawn trimmers, and leaf blowers" (IC 36-1-3-1.8). Under IC 36-1-3-13(a)(4), unless required under IC 36-7-2-9, a unit may not adopt a measure that "(A) prohibits or restricts the purchase or use of vehicles or machines other than vehicles; (B) distinguishes: (i) between types of vehicles; or (ii) between types of machines other than vehicles; or (C) results in: (i) differing regulatory standards for different types of vehicles; or (ii) differing regulatory standards for different types of machines other than vehicles; based upon the type of energy that powers the vehicle or machine."

The rule is written in terms of the type of energy that powers the machine. A local rule that treats gas and electric leaf blowers differently because of their power source falls within it.

Cryptocurrency mining: a 2026 noise preemption

A second 2026 law, P.L.49-2026, added IC 36-1-30.5. A unit may not adopt or enforce a rule that "limits the level of noise generated by a digital asset mining business that is located in an area zoned for industrial use" and "is not applicable to other businesses operating in an area zoned for industrial use" (IC 36-1-30.5-3(2)). The same applies to a rule that limits the noise of "private digital asset mining in a residence located in an area that is zoned for residential use" and "is not applicable to other residences in an area zoned for residential use" (IC 36-1-30.5-4(2)).

State park campgrounds

Indiana DNR's camping guidance for state parks states: "Quiet Hours: are from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. At night, voices carry so moderation is essential."

Mufflers, horns and engine brakes

Indiana's horn and muffler rules are equipment and use standards. Neither the horn chapter (IC 9-19-5) nor the muffler chapter (IC 9-19-8) sets a decibel number or a "plainly audible" car stereo rule; their standards are "unreasonably loud or harsh" (horns) and "excessive noise" (mufflers).

Mufflers. The muffler chapter "applies to every motor vehicle, except a vehicle that is at least twenty-five (25) years old" (IC 9-19-8-1). "A motor vehicle must be equipped with a muffler or other noise dissipative device that meets the following conditions: (1) Is in good working order. (2) Is in constant operation to prevent excessive noise" (IC 9-19-8-3). "A motor vehicle may not be equipped with any of the following: (1) A muffler cutout. (2) A bypass. (3) Any similar device" (IC 9-19-8-4). The muffler must also be free from visually discernible "(1) Exhaust gas leaks. (2) Alteration of muffler elements. (3) Deterioration of muffler elements" (IC 9-19-8-2). "A person who violates this chapter commits a Class C infraction" (IC 9-19-8-6(b)).

Horns. "A horn or other warning device may not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle" (IC 9-19-5-1). "The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, give audible warning with the horn on the motor vehicle but may not otherwise use the horn when upon a highway" (IC 9-19-5-2). "A person who violates this chapter commits a Class C infraction" (IC 9-19-5-7(b)).

Engine brakes. "A person may not drive a motor vehicle equipped with compression release engine brakes unless the motor vehicle is equipped with a muffler in good working condition so that excessive noise is prevented" (IC 9-21-8-44.5(c)). That subsection "does not apply to a motor vehicle that has compression release engine brakes with a factory installed muffler or an equivalent after market muffler." A separate rule bars using engine brakes instead of the service brakes, except when the service brakes fail, on the Indiana toll road in one county identified by population (44.5(b)). A violation of the chapter is generally a Class C infraction (IC 9-21-8-49(a)).

What an infraction costs. For a Class C infraction, "Except as provided in subsection (f), a judgment of up to five hundred dollars ($500) may be entered" (IC 34-28-5-4(c)). That is a ceiling; the court sets the judgment within it. For comparison, the same section allows up to $1,000 for a Class B infraction and up to $25 for a Class D infraction (34-28-5-4(b), (d)).

What to do about a loud neighbor in Indiana

1. Ask them to stop, if it is safe to do so. The state disorderly conduct clause turns on noise that continues "after being asked to stop" (IC 35-45-1-3(a)(2)).
2. Call the police non-emergency line if the noise continues, or report a violation of the local noise ordinance to the office the ordinance names.
3. Consider a nuisance lawsuit for persistent noise. Under IC 32-30-6-6, "Whatever is: (1) injurious to health; (2) indecent; (3) offensive to the senses; or (4) an obstruction to the free use of property; so as essentially to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property, is a nuisance, and the subject of an action." An action "may be brought by any person whose: (1) property is injuriously affected; or (2) personal enjoyment is lessened; by the nuisance" (32-30-6-7(a)), and "If a proper case is made, the nuisance may be enjoined or abated and damages recovered for the nuisance" (32-30-6-8).

Two cautions apply to a nuisance suit. First, it carries fee risk: "A person that successfully defends an action under this section is entitled to reasonable costs and attorney's fees incurred in defending the action" (32-30-6-7(d)). Second, the county attorney or the city or town attorney may also bring a nuisance action, and a county, city or town that succeeds "is entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees incurred in bringing the action" (32-30-6-7(b), (c)).

Renters should also read Indiana landlord-tenant laws for the rules between landlords and tenants.

Shooting ranges, military bases, farms and concerts

Shooting ranges. Under IC 14-22-31.5-6, "A person who owns, operates, or uses a shooting range is not liable in any civil or criminal matter relating to noise or noise pollution that results from the operation or use of the shooting range if the construction and operation of the shooting range were legal at the time of its initial construction or initial operation, and the shooting range continues to operate in a manner that would have been legal at the time of the inception or initial operation." The chapter (IC 14-22-31.5-1 to -8) sets no hours of operation and no noise-measurement standard for ranges.

A 2026 amendment (P.L.117-2026) rewrote the local-regulation section: "Except as specifically prohibited by this chapter and subject to IC 35-47-11.1 and IC 36-7-4.2, a local unit of government may regulate the location, use, operation, safety, and construction of a shooting range" (IC 14-22-31.5-5). The same act added IC 36-7-4.2, which defines an "indoor shooting range" as "a fully enclosed facility designed and operated for the discharge of firearms, equipped with a bullet resistant backstop, ventilation system, and sound attenuation measures to prevent the escape of projectiles, excessive noise, or airborne contaminants" (IC 36-7-4.2-3). In a commercial, industrial or agricultural zone, an indoor shooting range is permitted if, among other conditions, "Reasonable effort is made in the design, construction, and maintenance of the indoor shooting range to limit noise that could significantly impact adjacent properties" (IC 36-7-4.2-10(a)(2)). "A zoning ordinance adopted before July 1, 2026, is void to the extent the ordinance conflicts with this chapter" (IC 36-7-4.2-11).

Military bases. A military base and those authorized to operate on it are "not liable for civil damages relating to noise or noise pollution that: (1) results from the normal operation or use of the military base, including the destruction of ordnance; and (2) may be heard within two (2) miles of the perimeter of the military base" (IC 34-30-21-2).

Farms and industrial operations. "An agricultural or industrial operation or any of its appurtenances is not and does not become a nuisance, private or public, by any changed conditions in the vicinity of the locality after the agricultural or industrial operation, as the case may be, has been in operation continuously on the locality for more than one (1) year if the following conditions exist: (1) There is no significant change in the type of operation. ... (2) The operation would not have been a nuisance at the time the agricultural or industrial operation began on that locality" (IC 32-30-6-9(d)). The section "does not apply if a nuisance results from the negligent operation of an agricultural or industrial operation or its appurtenances" (32-30-6-9(a)). If a court finds that an agricultural operation was not a nuisance under section 9 and that the suit was frivolous, "the court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, to the defendant in the action" (32-30-6-9.5(a)(1)). A forestry operation that conforms to generally accepted forestry management practices is not a nuisance as a result of "Normal noise from forestry equipment" (32-30-6-11(d)(5)).

Large assemblies. For assemblies licensed under IC 16-41-22, "The licensee may not permit the sound of the assembly to carry unreasonably beyond the boundaries of the location of the assembly" (IC 16-41-22-9).

Fireworks rules are covered in Indiana fireworks laws.

Related pages

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• Indiana landlord-tenant laws
• Indiana fireworks laws
• Illinois noise ordinance laws
• Ohio noise ordinance laws

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

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the quiet hours in Indiana?

Quiet hours for homes are mostly set by your city, town or county ordinance, so they vary by location. State law separately bars operating an off-road vehicle or snowmobile within 100 feet of a dwelling between midnight and 6 a.m., except on your own or controlled property or as an invited guest (IC 14-16-1-23(a)(7)). Indiana DNR asks state park campers to observe quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Is a loud party illegal in Indiana?

Under state law, making unreasonable noise is disorderly conduct when the person continues after being asked to stop (IC 35-45-1-3(a)(2)), a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000; it is a Level 6 felony if it adversely affects a nearby funeral, burial or memorial service, or airport security in an airport (IC 35-45-1-3(b), (c)). A local noise ordinance may set its own rules, such as quiet hours.

What is the fine for a noise ordinance violation in Indiana?

The ordinance sets the amount, but state law caps it: generally no more than $2,500 for a first violation and $7,500 for a second or later violation, and a local ordinance may not impose jail time (IC 36-1-3-8(a)(9), (10)).

Is a loud exhaust illegal in Indiana?

A motor vehicle must have a muffler or other noise dissipative device in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive noise, and may not have a muffler cutout, bypass or similar device (IC 9-19-8-3, 9-19-8-4). It is a Class C infraction with a judgment of up to $500; the chapter does not apply to vehicles at least 25 years old.

Does Indiana have a car stereo noise law?

The state horn chapter (IC 9-19-5) and muffler chapter (IC 9-19-8) set no decibel number and no plainly audible car stereo rule. Loud music from a car may fall under a local noise ordinance or, if it continues after a request to stop, the disorderly conduct statute (IC 35-45-1-3).

Can an Indiana city ban gas-powered leaf blowers?

Not based on the type of energy. Since P.L.26-2026, a unit may not adopt a measure that restricts or distinguishes between machines, including lawn mowers, powered trimmers and leaf blowers, based on the type of energy that powers them (IC 36-1-3-13(a)(4), 36-1-3-1.8).

Can I sue a neighbor for noise in Indiana?

Indiana law defines a nuisance to include anything offensive to the senses that essentially interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property (IC 32-30-6-6). A person whose property is injuriously affected or whose personal enjoyment is lessened may sue to abate or enjoin it, but a defendant who successfully defends is entitled to reasonable costs and attorney's fees (32-30-6-7).