Maryland Noise Laws: Decibel Limits, Quiet Hours and Fines (2026)

Maryland has a statewide noise standard, and counties and cities enforce it. COMAR 26.02.03.02 limits noise received on residential property to 65 dBA in the daytime (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and 55 dBA at night (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) says House Bill 190 (2012) transferred enforcement to local governments, so your county or city enforces those limits, and any local ordinance may not be less stringent (Environment §3-105). Separately, willfully disturbing someone's peace with an unreasonably loud noise is disorderly conduct under Criminal Law §10-201, punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. Car stereos heard 50 feet away on a highway are barred (Transportation §21-1122), and Montgomery and Prince George's counties may use noise cameras under a state law in effect until June 30, 2028. 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 Maryland state law on noise: Environment Article Title 3 (§§3-101, 3-105, 3-401, 3-403 to 3-406) and the state's noise regulations (COMAR 26.02.03.01 and .02); disorderly conduct (Criminal Law §10-201); the Transportation Article's noisy driving, special event zone, sound amplification, horn, muffler, sound level, noise camera and general penalty sections (§§21-1117, 21-1122, 21-1132, 22-401, 22-402, 22-602, 22-609, 22-612, 27-101) with the District Court's preset fine schedule; Chapter 712 of 2025 (HB 18); municipal and county ordinance powers (Local Government §§5-202, 10-102, 10-206); boat noise (Natural Resources §8-725.5); the right-to-farm statute (Courts and Judicial Proceedings §5-403); and State park rules (COMAR 08.07.06). Statute text is the version the Maryland General Assembly publishes. It does not cover the text of any county or city noise ordinance (including Baltimore City's or Montgomery County's), aircraft, workplace noise, or the law of other states.

Maryland noise laws at a glance

Maryland's statewide decibel limits

Maryland's numerical noise limits apply to ordinary property, including homes. The Environment Article directs MDE to set them: "Except as otherwise provided by law, the Department shall adopt environmental noise standards, sound level limits, and noise control rules and regulations as necessary to protect the public health, the general welfare, and property" (Environment §3-401(a)). Title 3 defines a "sound level limit" as "the maximum allowable noise emission from a noise source in a defined area under specified conditions" (§3-101).

The limits are in COMAR 26.02.03.02(B): "A person may not cause or permit noise levels which exceed those specified in this table," subject to the regulation's exceptions. They are measured by the land use of the property receiving the noise:

The daytime and nighttime hours come from the regulation's definitions (COMAR 26.02.03.01). They set which limit applies; they are a measurement window, not a separate quiet-hours law.

Other parts of the regulation matter for neighbor disputes:

• Construction and demolition: noise from construction or demolition site activities may not exceed "(a) 90 dBA during daytime hours; (b) The levels specified in Table 1 during nighttime hours."
• Tones and periodic noise: for prominent discrete tones and periodic noises, the limits are 5 dBA lower.
• Vibration: vibration perceptible beyond the property line is prohibited.
• Off-road vehicles: dirt bikes, ATVs and go-carts operated on private property closer than 300 feet to a neighboring residence need the resident's written permission unless they stay within the noise limits.

What the state limits do not cover

COMAR 26.02.03.02(C)(2) exempts a long list of sources, including:

• household tools and portable appliances in normal use during daytime hours;
• lawn care and snow removal equipment (daytime only) used and maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications;
• agricultural field machinery, motor vehicles on public roads, and emergency operations;
• pile driving between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.;
• sound that is not electronically amplified, between 7 a.m. and midnight, from sporting events (other than target shooting), entertainment events, and other public gatherings operating under a local permit or permission;
• trash collection between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and construction on public property;
• air conditioners and heat pumps, which have their own caps of 70 and 75 dBA; and
• "Household pets on residential property that are maintained in accordance with local zoning requirements."

Who enforces Maryland's noise limits

Not MDE. The department's noise page states: "House Bill 190 effectively transferred noise enforcement authority to local governments. MDE will continue to be responsible for setting statewide standards and general exemptions." It adds that "MDE is redirecting all local noise complaints to the contacts provided in the table below," a list of local contacts by jurisdiction.

The statute gives counties and municipal corporations the tools. "A political subdivision may enforce the sound level limits and noise control rules and regulations adopted under this title" (Environment §3-403(a)). A county or city may investigate complaints, test, apply the limits at a property or land-use boundary, issue a corrective order after notice, and sue to enjoin willful violations after a reasonable time to comply.

The penalty for a willful violation is civil and can be large. Under §3-406(a), a person who willfully violates the title or a rule or order under it "is liable to a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000, to be collected in a civil action brought by a political subdivision in the circuit court for any county. Each day a violation continues is a separate violation under this section."

Local ordinances can be stricter, never looser

Environment §3-105(a) sets the floor:

"(1) Except as provided in this section, this title does not limit the power of a political subdivision to adopt noise control ordinances, rules, or regulations. (2) A political subdivision may not adopt any noise control ordinance, rule, or regulation that is less stringent than the environmental noise standards, sound level limits, and noise control rules and regulations adopted under this title."

The same section carves out shooting clubs and one school district. A local noise rule may not prohibit trapshooting, skeetshooting or other target shooting between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. by a shooting sports club chartered and operating as of January 1, 2001, except in Baltimore City and Allegany, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, St. Mary's and Washington counties. Allegany, Anne Arundel, Garrett and Washington counties may not do so for clubs chartered and operating as of January 1, 2005, unless the county finds a club was out of compliance with the state noise standards on that date. And Carroll County may not enforce noise rules against a public school between 8 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Separately, the state limits may not prohibit target shooting on a range or other property in Frederick County that the county's Department of Planning and Zoning has approved for it (Environment §3-401(c)(3)).

The general ordinance grants are in the Local Government Article. A municipality may adopt ordinances to "(3) preserve peace and good order; (4) secure persons and property from danger and destruction; and (5) protect the health, comfort, and convenience of the residents of the municipality" (Local Government §5-202). A charter county council may pass any ordinance "not inconsistent with State law" that "may aid in maintaining the peace, good government, health, and welfare of the county," but only to the extent the powers "are not preempted by or in conflict with public general law" (§§10-102, 10-206).

To find your local rule, use the MDE contact list or look up your county's or city's code of ordinances, usually linked from the local government's website, and search it for noise. The local code states its own hours, limits and penalties, which may be stricter than the state's.

Is loud noise disorderly conduct in Maryland?

It can be, if it is willful and unreasonably loud. Criminal Law §10-201 contains two noise clauses:

"(4) A person who enters the land or premises of another, whether an owner or lessee, or a beach adjacent to residential riparian property, may not willfully: (i) disturb the peace of persons on the land, premises, or beach by making an unreasonably loud noise; or (ii) act in a disorderly manner. (5) A person from any location may not, by making an unreasonably loud noise, willfully disturb the peace of another: (i) on the other's land or premises; (ii) in a public place; or (iii) on a public conveyance."

Clause (c)(5) is the one that reaches a neighbor making noise from his or her own home: it applies to "a person from any location." The noise must be unreasonably loud and the disturbance willful. The section also makes it an offense to act in a disorderly manner that disturbs the public peace, and to fail to obey a reasonable and lawful order to prevent a disturbance. The section's definition of "public place" is broad and includes the common areas of a building with four or more dwelling units, as well as parking lots, streets, parks and restaurants.

The penalty is in subsection (d): "A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 60 days or a fine not exceeding $500 or both." The District Court's preset fine schedule has no entry for §10-201, so no prepayable amount is listed for it.

How loud can car music be in Maryland?

Transportation §21-1122(c) sets a distance test rather than a decibel test: "When a motor vehicle is being operated on a highway, the driver of the vehicle may not operate or permit the operation of a sound amplification system from the vehicle that can be heard outside the vehicle from 50 or more feet." The section covers CD players, radios, tape players and similar systems. Emergency vehicles, utility vehicles and warning uses are exempt, and so are advertising, parades and special events unless local law prohibits them.

Under subsection (d), "A violation of this section is not considered a moving violation for purposes of §16-402 of this article." Under the Vehicle Law's general penalty, a misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $500 "Except as otherwise provided in the Maryland Vehicle Law" (§27-101(b)). On the District Court's preset fine schedule effective October 1, 2026, the prepayable fine for §21-1122(c) is $70 with no points.

Mufflers, exhaust and vehicle sound limits

Transportation §22-402(a) requires a working muffler:

"(a) Every motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine shall be equipped with an exhaust muffler system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person may use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device on a motor vehicle on a highway. Noise levels in excess of those adopted by the Administrator under §22-601 of this title are excessive."

Subsection (b) bars exhaust or tailpipe extensions that cause excessive noise. §22-609 provides that "A person may not modify the exhaust system or any other noise abatement device of a motor vehicle ... in such a way that the noise emitted by the vehicle exceeds that emitted by the vehicle as originally manufactured." And §22-602(a) bars driving a registered vehicle on a highway in a manner that, "at any time, at any speed, or under any condition of grade, load, acceleration, or deceleration, exceeds the maximum sound level limits established under §22-601"; owners may not permit it.

The District Court's preset fine schedule effective October 1, 2026 lists these amounts, each with no points:

The schedule states that its preset amounts include a $7.50 Special Funds surcharge. These are the prepayable amounts; the statutory ceiling for a Vehicle Law misdemeanor fine is $500 under §27-101(b).

Driving a motor vehicle "in any improper manner intended to cause excessive noise" violates Transportation §21-1117(d), which "applies throughout this State, whether on or off a highway." Its preset fine is $70 with 1 point. Inside a marked special event zone, exhibition driving includes an engine "producing an unreasonably loud, raucous, or disturbing noise"; it is punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, and the schedule lists it as a must-appear offense (§21-1132). Causing excessive noise under §21-1117 within a special event zone has a preset fine of $530 with 1 point.

A driver must use the horn "when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation" but "may not otherwise use the horn when on a highway," and no horn or warning device "may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle" (Transportation §22-401). The preset fine for unnecessary horn use on a highway is $60 with no points.

Noise cameras in Montgomery and Prince George's counties

Transportation §22-612 lets two counties enforce vehicle noise limits with automated "noise abatement monitoring systems." Its heading reads: "IN EFFECT // EFFECTIVE UNTIL JUNE 30, 2028 PER CHAPTER 712 OF 2025." Subsection (a) states: "This section applies only in Montgomery County and Prince George's County."

How the program works under the section:

• Each county may use up to three systems, adopted by local law after notice and a hearing, with locations posted on the county website and on signs. No citation may issue for the first 15 days after the signs go up.
• A violation is a vehicle at least 5 decibels over the §22-602 limit. Only one citation may issue per day.
• A first offense brings a warning notice. "For a second or subsequent offense, a civil penalty not exceeding $75." No citation may issue during the first 30 days after a warning is mailed.
• The citation is mailed within two weeks for an in-state vehicle or 30 days for an out-of-state vehicle. It is not a moving violation, carries no points, does not go on the driving record, and may be treated as a parking violation. An unpaid penalty can block registration or renewal.
• Defenses include a stolen vehicle or plates and a malfunctioning system. On request before the contest deadline, a county designee must review the warning or citation and void it if it is erroneous, and may waive it if the owner shows the vehicle was altered to avoid future violations.

The camera programs were pilots. Chapter 712 of 2025 (HB 18, approved by the Governor on May 20, 2025) extended them: each county's pilot law now "shall remain effective for a period of [2] 4 years," ending June 30, 2028, with reports due on or before December 1, 2027. The same act added recorded images from noise cameras to the list of records closed to public inspection under General Provisions §4-321.

Quiet in Maryland state parks

The Department of Natural Resources park rules do not set fixed clock hours; each park posts its own. Under COMAR 08.07.06.20, disorderly conduct in a State park includes loud and unseemly noises, and:

"F. Operating a generator or electronic audio equipment, or playing a musical instrument at a sound level annoying to other park users, with the use of these prohibited after posted hours of permissible operation; or G. Causing a disturbance of the public peace."

COMAR 08.07.06.26 adds: "Unless a permit is obtained from the Service an individual may not use an amplifier, loudspeaker, or other similar equipment in a State park."

Boat noise in Maryland

Boats on State waters are exempt from the COMAR limits but have their own rule. A person "may not operate a vessel on the waters of the State so as to exceed a noise level of 90dB(a)," and a vessel manufactured after January 1, 1990 must be equipped with a muffler or a system that suppresses engine noise (Natural Resources §8-725.5). A violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 for a first offense, and up to $1,000, 30 days in jail, or both for a second. The section does not apply to people who regularly catch or harvest seafood for sale while actually doing so.

Farms and noise complaints

Maryland's right-to-farm statute names noise directly. Under Courts and Judicial Proceedings §5-403(c):

"(c) If an agricultural, a silvicultural, or a commercial fishing or seafood operation has been under way for a period of 1 year or more and if the operation is in compliance with applicable federal, State, and local health, environmental, zoning, and permit requirements relating to any nuisance claim and is not conducted in a negligent manner: (1) The operation, including any sight, noise, odors, dust, or insects resulting from the operation, may not be deemed to be a public or private nuisance;"

The protection does not bar enforcement by a government agency, and it does not apply to an operation that lacks a required nutrient management plan. Where no local agency is authorized to hear a nuisance complaint against an agricultural operation, a person must first refer the complaint to the State Agricultural Mediation Program and obtain the Department of Agriculture's certification that mediation has concluded before suing.

If you rent, see Maryland landlord-tenant laws for the rules between landlords and tenants. Fireworks have their own permit rules, covered in Maryland fireworks laws.

Related pages

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• Maryland landlord-tenant laws
• Maryland fireworks laws
• Delaware noise ordinance laws
• Pennsylvania noise ordinance laws

This article provides general legal information about Maryland law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Maryland or your county or city noise enforcement office.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the noise laws in Maryland?

Maryland has statewide sound level limits in COMAR 26.02.03.02 (65 dBA day and 55 dBA night on residential property), enforced by counties and cities since 2012. Criminal Law §10-201 makes willfully disturbing someone's peace with unreasonably loud noise a misdemeanor, and the Transportation Article covers car stereos, mufflers and noise cameras.

What are the quiet hours in Maryland?

The state regulation defines daytime as 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and nighttime as 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the residential limit drops from 65 dBA to 55 dBA at night (COMAR 26.02.03). Those are measurement periods for decibel limits; any quiet-hours rule beyond them comes from your county or city ordinance, which may not be less strict than the state limits.

How loud can a neighbor be at night in Maryland?

Under COMAR 26.02.03.02, noise received on residential property may not exceed 55 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., subject to the regulation's exemptions. Your county or city enforces that limit, and Maryland's Department of the Environment lists the local contact for each jurisdiction.

Who do I call about a noise complaint in Maryland?

Contact your county or municipal noise enforcement office; the Maryland Department of the Environment's noise page lists contacts by jurisdiction and states that it redirects all local noise complaints to them. For noise that willfully disturbs your peace, the police can act under Criminal Law §10-201.

What is the penalty for disturbing the peace with noise in Maryland?

Disorderly conduct under Criminal Law §10-201 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. The District Court's preset fine schedule has no entry for this offense.

How loud can car music be in Maryland?

While a vehicle is being operated on a highway, the driver may not operate or permit a sound system that can be heard outside the vehicle from 50 or more feet (Transportation §21-1122). Emergency and utility vehicles and warning uses are exempt. The preset fine is $70 with no points.

Does Maryland use noise cameras?

State law allows them in Montgomery and Prince George's counties only. Each may use up to three noise abatement monitoring systems; a vehicle at least 5 decibels over the state limit gets a warning notice for a first offense and a civil penalty of up to $75 after that, with no points (Transportation §22-612). The section is in effect until June 30, 2028.

What is the fine for a loud exhaust in Maryland?

On the District Court's preset schedule effective October 1, 2026, a missing or defective exhaust muffler system or an unlawful cutout (Transportation §22-402(a)) is $70, and modifying an exhaust to cause excessive noise (§22-609(a)) or driving a vehicle so modified (§22-609(b)) is $70, with no points. The Vehicle Law ceiling for a misdemeanor fine is $500 (§27-101(b)).