Nebraska Noise Laws (2026): Disturbing the Peace, Quiet Hours

Nebraska state law sets noise numbers for heavy vehicles, motorboats and outdoor shooting ranges, and the state's park campgrounds have quiet hours. Quiet hours and decibel limits for homes and neighborhoods come from city and village ordinances. The state offense that reaches a loud neighbor is disturbing the peace under Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1322, which applies to "any person who shall intentionally disturb the peace and quiet of any person, family, or neighborhood." It is a Class III misdemeanor, punishable by up to three months in jail, a $500 fine, or both (28-106). 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 Nebraska state law: disturbing the peace (Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1322) and the misdemeanor penalty classes (28-106); the criminal nuisance statute (28-1321); vehicle noise, horn and heavy-vehicle noise limits (60-6,285, 60-6,286, 60-6,363, 60-6,368, 60-6,369, 60-6,370, 60-6,371, 60-6,373) and the traffic-infraction rule (60-682) and the general traffic-infraction fine (60-689); motorboat noise and mufflers (37-1253, 37-1270); the Shooting Range Protection Act noise provisions (37-1305, 37-1308, 37-1309); city, village and county powers (14-102(22), 15-255, 15-263, 16-228, 17-505, 17-556, 18-1720, 18-1758, 23-174.10); the Right to Farm Act (2-4402, 2-4403); tenant and condominium conduct duties and remedies (76-1421(7), 76-1431, 76-804); funeral picketing (28-1320.02, 28-1320.03); consumer fireworks sales (28-1249); and state park campground quiet hours (Game and Parks Commission campground policy). It does not cover the text of any city, village or county ordinance, lease terms, aircraft or workplace noise, or the law of other states.

Nebraska noise laws at a glance

State rules that set hours or decibel limits

A few Nebraska statutes set numbers or times. Each applies to a specific kind of machine or place, not to noise from homes.

Heavy trucks and other vehicles of 10,000 pounds or more. Under 60-6,370, no person may operate a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or more, or a combination of vehicles towed by it, so as to exceed a noise limit measured at "a distance of not less than fifty feet from the centerline of travel." The statute continues: "When the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less, the noise limit shall not exceed 86dB(A), and when the posted speed limit is more than thirty-five miles per hour, the noise limit shall not exceed 90dB(A)."

A separate section, 60-6,371, applies to the same heavy vehicles, because for sections 60-6,363 to 60-6,374 a motor vehicle is "a self-propelled vehicle with a gross unloaded vehicle weight of ten thousand pounds or more" or a combination of vehicles towed by one (60-6,363(2)): "No person shall modify or change the exhaust muffler, the intake muffler, or any other noise-abatement device of a motor vehicle in a manner such that the noise emitted by the motor vehicle is increased above that emitted by the vehicle as originally manufactured."

A related section bars selling, or offering for sale, "a new motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of ten thousand pounds or more that produces a maximum noise exceeding a noise limit of 80dB(A) at a distance of fifty feet from the centerline of travel" (60-6,369).

A person who operates a vehicle in violation of the standards in 60-6,363 to 60-6,374 "shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor, and every day that the diesel-powered or other motor vehicle is so operated shall be deemed to be a separate offense" (60-6,373). A Class V misdemeanor carries no imprisonment and a maximum $100 fine (28-106(1)). The Director of Water, Energy, and Environment has the power, after public hearings, to adopt rules to carry out those sections (60-6,368(1)).

Motorboats. "No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of a motorboat on the waters of this state in such a manner as to exceed a noise level of ninety-six decibels when measured at one hundred feet or more on plane using the A-weighting network of a sound level meter" meeting the ANSI standard the statute names (37-1253(1)). The exhaust of every motorboat engine "shall be effectively muffled," and "the use of cutouts is prohibited" except for motorboats in an approved regatta or boat race and during the 48-hour trial periods before and after it (37-1253(2)). A violation of the State Boat Act for which no other penalty is provided is "a Class V misdemeanor for each such violation" (37-1270).

Outdoor shooting ranges. Nebraska's Shooting Range Protection Act names hours of the day. A shooting range "that is existing and lawful may continue to operate as a shooting range notwithstanding, and without regard to, any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, or resolution related to noise enacted thereafter by any city, county, village, or other political subdivision of the state, except as provided in section 37-1308, if operated in compliance with the shooting range performance standards" (37-1305). Section 37-1308 then provides: "A city, county, village, or other political subdivision of the state may limit the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that an outdoor shooting range may operate." And a person shooting in compliance with the performance standards at a range between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. "is presumed not to be engaging in unlawful conduct merely because of the noise caused by the shooting" (37-1309).

State park campgrounds. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's campground policy states: "Quiet hours are in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m." The same policy prohibits alcohol consumption during quiet hours.

Does Nebraska have statewide quiet hours for homes?

Nebraska's statutes set no statewide quiet hours for homes. Its criminal code, motor vehicle code, landlord-tenant act and the chapters governing cities, villages and counties contain no quiet hours, construction hours or decibel limit for residential noise, and no rule on car stereos that are plainly audible at a set distance. Apart from the rules above, those limits come from your city or village code. To find yours:

• Inside a city or village: look up the municipal code, usually linked from the city's website or available from the city or village clerk, and read its noise, nuisance or disturbing-the-peace sections.
• Outside city limits: ask the county board or county attorney whether the county has adopted nuisance regulations (see below).
• Who to call: the police department or county sheriff takes disturbing-the-peace complaints, and the city or village enforces its own ordinance.

When loud noise is a crime in Nebraska

Nebraska's disturbing the peace statute is two sentences long: "(1) Any person who shall intentionally disturb the peace and quiet of any person, family, or neighborhood commits the offense of disturbing the peace. (2) Disturbing the peace is a Class III misdemeanor" (28-1322).

The statute does not use the word "noise," so loud music or shouting is charged under it only when it intentionally disturbs the peace and quiet of a person, family or neighborhood. The word "intentionally" is an element of the offense. Noise that does not meet it may still break a city or village noise ordinance.

The penalty comes from 28-106(1): a Class III misdemeanor carries a maximum of "three months imprisonment, or five hundred dollars fine, or both," and no minimum.

Nebraska's criminal nuisance statute makes it an offense to maintain "any nuisance to the injury of any part of the citizens of this state" (28-1321(1)). It specifically deems nuisances buildings or places used for a trade or business that, "by occasioning noxious exhalations, noisome or offensive smells," become "injurious and dangerous to the health, comfort, or property of individuals or the public," along with certain obstructions and water pollution (28-1321(2)). It does not name noise. Maintaining a nuisance is a Class III misdemeanor, and on conviction the court "shall order every such nuisance to be abated or removed."

A separate offense covers funerals. Engaging in picketing "from one hour prior to through two hours following the commencement of a funeral" is unlawful picketing of a funeral, a Class III misdemeanor (28-1320.03), where picketing of a funeral means protest activities "within five hundred feet of a cemetery, mortuary, church, or other place of worship during a funeral" (28-1320.02(2)).

How Nebraska cities, villages and counties regulate noise

Nebraska grants noise powers to cities by class, so the wording depends on where you live:

A city of the primary class may impose fines and penalties "not exceeding five hundred dollars for any one offense" (15-263(2)), and cities of the second class and villages may enforce their ordinances by fines or penalties "not exceeding five hundred dollars for any one offense" (17-505).

A 2026 act, LB 1114 (approved April 16, 2026), amended 14-102 and carried the metropolitan-class noise power forward in the same words.

Every city and village, whatever its class, "may by ordinance define, regulate, suppress, and prevent nuisances, declare what constitutes a nuisance, and abate and remove such nuisances," within its corporate limits and extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction (18-1720(1)). For short-term rentals, a municipality "shall apply an ordinance or other regulation regulating land use to a short-term rental in the same manner as another similar property," and the statute lists "noise and other nuisances" among those ordinances (18-1758(6)).

Counties have less. Chapter 23, which governs counties, does not mention noise. In a county that has adopted county zoning regulations, the county board may by resolution make regulations "to provide rules for the prevention, abatement, and removal of nuisances," which must not be inconsistent with state law and do not apply inside an incorporated city or village or where a city or village is exercising zoning jurisdiction (23-174.10).

Loud cars, mufflers and horns

Nebraska's vehicle noise rule is 60-6,286: "Every vehicle shall be equipped, maintained, and operated so as to prevent excessive or unusual noise. No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a muffler or other effective noise-suppressing system in good working order and in constant operation. It shall be unlawful to use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device on any motor vehicle upon a highway." The section sets no decibel figure for ordinary cars and motorcycles.

Horns are covered by 60-6,285. It is unlawful for any person "at any time to use a horn, otherwise than as a reasonable warning, or to make any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device," and the section also bars sirens and exhaust, compression or spark plug whistles on vehicles except as it allows.

Neither section states its own penalty. Both are part of the Nebraska Rules of the Road, and a violation of any provision of the rules "shall constitute a traffic infraction" unless the rules declare otherwise (60-682). The Rules of the Road set a general fine for a traffic infraction "for which a penalty has not been specifically provided": not more than $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense within one year, and $300 for a third or later offense within one year (60-689).

Remedies for a noisy neighbor in Nebraska

Nebraska gives neighbors these routes:

1. Call the police or sheriff when the noise may be disturbing the peace under 28-1322 or breaks a city or village ordinance. Use the non-emergency number unless there is an emergency.
2. Report the ordinance violation to the city or village, which enforces its own noise and nuisance ordinances (18-1720).
3. Talk to the landlord if the neighbor rents. Under the landlord-tenant act, a tenant must "conduct himself and require other persons on the premises with his consent to conduct themselves in a manner that will not disturb his neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of the premises" (76-1421(7)). In a condominium, "no tenant of an apartment may make any noise or cause any annoyance or do any act that may disturb the peace of the other co-owners or tenants" (76-804(2)), and a violation is grounds for an action for damages or injunctive relief "by the co-owner or tenant aggrieved" (76-804). For a material noncompliance, a landlord may give written notice that the rental agreement will end at least 30 days after the tenant receives it unless the breach is remedied within 14 days, and if substantially the same breach recurs within six months, may terminate on at least 14 days' written notice (76-1431(1)); the landlord may also recover damages and obtain injunctive relief (76-1431(3)). For other lease and notice rules, see our page on Nebraska landlord-tenant laws.
4. Consider a civil claim. Whether a private nuisance lawsuit fits your facts is a question for a lawyer licensed in Nebraska.

Fireworks have their own state and local rules. Consumer fireworks "may be sold at retail only between June 24 and July 5 and between December 28 and January 1 of each year," and not outside the limits of an incorporated city or village (28-1249), and cities of the second class and villages may "regulate, punish, and prevent the discharge of" fireworks (17-556(3)). See our page on Nebraska fireworks laws.

Farms and shooting ranges

Farms. Under the Nebraska Right to Farm Act, a farm or farm operation "shall not be found to be a public or private nuisance" if it "existed before a change in the land use or occupancy of land in and about the locality" and would not have been a nuisance before that change (2-4403(1)). No nuisance suit may be maintained against a farm or farm operation "more than two years after the condition which is the subject matter of the suit reaches a level of offense sufficient to sustain a claim of nuisance" (2-4403(2)). The same protection covers public grain warehouses (2-4403(1)), a "farm or farm operation" means a tract "over ten acres in area used for or devoted to the commercial production of farm products" (2-4402(1)), and the two-year limit does not apply to an action to determine compliance with or enforce a previous court order on the same nuisance claim (2-4403(3)). The section does not name noise.

Shooting ranges. As described above, an existing lawful range that meets the performance standards is exempt from later local noise rules, except that a local government may limit the hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. that an outdoor range operates (37-1305, 37-1308, 37-1309).

Related pages

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• Nebraska landlord-tenant laws
• Nebraska fireworks laws
• Iowa noise ordinance laws
• Kansas noise ordinance laws

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

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the noise laws in Nebraska?

Intentionally disturbing the peace and quiet of any person, family or neighborhood is disturbing the peace, a Class III misdemeanor (Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1322). State law also limits vehicle, heavy-vehicle and motorboat noise (60-6,286, 60-6,370, 37-1253); quiet hours for homes come from your city or village ordinance.

What are the quiet hours in Nebraska?

The state statutes set no quiet hours for homes, so check your city or village code. In Nebraska state park campgrounds, the Game and Parks Commission's campground policy sets quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. And a city, county or village may limit when an outdoor shooting range operates between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (37-1308).

What is the penalty for disturbing the peace in Nebraska?

Disturbing the peace is a Class III misdemeanor (28-1322(2)), punishable by up to three months in jail, a $500 fine, or both, with no minimum (28-106(1)).

Is it illegal to have a loud muffler in Nebraska?

Every vehicle must be equipped, maintained and operated to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and using a muffler cutout or bypass on a highway is unlawful (60-6,286). The section states no penalty of its own; for a Rules of the Road traffic infraction with no specific penalty, the fine is up to $100 for a first offense (60-689).

How loud can a truck be in Nebraska?

A vehicle of 10,000 pounds or more may not exceed 86 dB(A) where the posted limit is 35 mph or less or 90 dB(A) above 35 mph, measured at least 50 feet from the centerline (60-6,370). A violation is a Class V misdemeanor (60-6,373).

Can I call the police on a loud neighbor in Nebraska?

Yes. Police handle disturbing the peace under 28-1322, which requires that the person intentionally disturbed the peace and quiet of a person, family or neighborhood, and cities and villages enforce their own noise ordinances.

Can a landlord act on a noisy tenant in Nebraska?

Nebraska's landlord-tenant act requires a tenant to conduct himself, and require guests to conduct themselves, in a manner that will not disturb neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of the premises (76-1421(7)), so a complaint to the landlord is one option.