Utah Noise Ordinance Laws (2026): Quiet Hours, Fines, Nuisance

Utah's state noise rule is disorderly conduct. Under Utah Code 76-9-102(2)(b), a person who intends to cause, or recklessly creates a risk of, "public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm" commits disorderly conduct by making "unreasonable noises in a public place or an official meeting" or "unreasonable noises in a private place that can be heard in a public place or an official meeting." It is an infraction, with a 2026 court fine schedule amount of $160, and becomes a class C misdemeanor if the violation occurs after the person "has been asked to cease" (76-9-102(3)).

State park campgrounds have statewide quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Utah Admin. Code R651-606-8). Quiet hours and decibel limits for homes come from city and town ordinances, and a city may not punish a violation pertaining to a person's use of their own residence above an infraction except in two situations (Utah Code 10-3-703(1)(b)). Utah also rewrote its nuisance lawsuit statutes in 2026: H.B. 591 (Chapter 401, effective May 6, 2026) moved them into a new Title 78B, Chapter 6a and abrogated common law nuisance suits. 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 Utah state law: disorderly conduct by unreasonable noise (Utah Code 76-9-102) and the fine and jail ceilings (76-3-301, 76-3-204); the Utah courts' 2026 Uniform Fine Schedule rows for those offenses; vehicle mufflers and horns (41-6a-1625, 41-6a-1626) and the off-highway vehicle noise row; city ordinance, nuisance and penalty powers (10-8-84, 10-8-60, 10-3-703); county ordinance powers and penalties (17-64-501); the 2026 nuisance chapter (78B-6a-101, 102, 103, 203, 302, 404, 407) and related H.B. 591 changes for shooting ranges and highway construction; and state park quiet hours (R651-606-8). It does not cover the text of any city or county noise ordinance, lease terms, aircraft or workplace noise, or the law of other states. Statute text is the version published on the Utah Legislature's website.

Utah noise laws at a glance

Schedule amounts come from the Utah courts' 2026 Uniform Fine Schedule; the statutory figures are ceilings.

Is loud noise a crime in Utah?

It can be, under 76-9-102. The noise offense has three parts:

• Mental state: the person is "intending to cause public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk of public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm" (76-9-102(2)(b)).
• Unreasonable noise: the person "makes unreasonable noises."
• Location: the noise is made "in a public place or an official meeting" (subsection (2)(b)(ii)), or "in a private place that can be heard in a public place or an official meeting" (subsection (2)(b)(iii)).

The focus is on the public. Noise made inside a home is covered by subsection (2)(b)(iii) only if it can be heard in a public place or an official meeting.

For this section, "Public place" means "a place to which the public or a substantial group of the public has access, including: (A) streets or highways; and (B) the common areas of schools, hospitals, apartment houses, office buildings, public buildings, public facilities, transport facilities, and shops" (76-9-102(1)(a)(ii)). The common areas of an apartment building are therefore public places for this offense.

Penalties: infraction until asked to stop

Section 76-9-102(3) sets the level: "(a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), (c), or (d), a violation of Subsection (2) is an infraction. (b) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(c) or (d), a violation of Subsection (2) is a class C misdemeanor if the violation occurs after the actor has been asked to cease conduct prohibited under this section." Under (3)(c), it is a class B misdemeanor if the violation occurs after the actor has been asked to cease and the actor was convicted of a violation of the section within the five years before. Under (3)(d), it is a class A misdemeanor if the violation occurs after the actor has been asked to cease and the actor was "previously convicted of two or more violations of this section" within those five years.

Under 76-3-301(1), the maximum fines are $750 for a class C misdemeanor or an infraction, $1,000 for a class B misdemeanor and $2,500 for a class A misdemeanor. Under 76-3-204, jail may not exceed 364 days for a class A misdemeanor of this kind, six months for a class B misdemeanor or 90 days for a class C misdemeanor.

The Utah courts' 2026 Uniform Fine Schedule lists these amounts for disorderly conduct:

• Infraction: $160.
• Class C misdemeanor, after being asked to cease: $350.
• Class B misdemeanor, after being asked to cease with a prior within five years: $690.

Funerals, meetings and residential picketing

Three other offenses in the same part of the criminal code reach noise, and each is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail (76-3-204) and a fine of up to $1,000 (76-3-301):

• Funerals and memorial services. A person commits disrupting a funeral or memorial service if the person "(a) intends to disrupt a memorial service; and (b) does any of the following during the period beginning 60 minutes immediately before the scheduled commencement of the memorial service and ending 60 minutes after the conclusion of the memorial service: ... (iii) makes unreasonable noise" (76-9-108(2), (3)).
• Meetings and processions. A person commits disrupting a meeting or procession if the person "obstructs or interferes with a lawful meeting, procession, or gathering by physical action, verbal utterance, or any other means" and intends that obstruction "to prevent or disrupt the meeting, procession, or gathering" (76-9-103(2), (3)).
• Targeted residential picketing. Picketing includes apprising the public of a message "vocally or by standing or marching with signs, banners, sound amplification devices, or other means" (76-9-109(1)(a)(i)). It is an offense to picket "specifically directed or focused toward a residence, or one or more occupants of the residence," on the sidewalk or street in front of that residence or an adjoining one, on either side of it, or "within 100 feet of the property line of the targeted residence" (76-9-109(2)(a), (3)). The section does not apply to picketing at the picketer's own residence, picketing of a meeting place or assembly area commonly used to discuss subjects of general public interest, or general picketing that proceeds through residential neighborhoods or past residences (76-9-109(4)).

Loud cars, horns and off-highway vehicles

Mufflers. Utah Code 41-6a-1626(1) provides: "(a) A vehicle shall be equipped, maintained, and operated to prevent excessive or unusual noise. (b) A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a muffler or other effective noise suppressing system in good working order and in constant operation. (c) A person may not use a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar device on a vehicle." A violation of subsection (1), (2), or (3) is an infraction (41-6a-1626(5)). The 2026 fine schedule lists $50 for an improper muffler or noise-suppressing system, with the note: "Must be dismissed if violation resolved within 14 days of citation (53-8-209(3))."

Horns. Under 41-6a-1625(1), the horn "may not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle," and the operator, "when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation, shall give audible warning with the horn" and, except in that case, "may not use the horn on a highway." A violation is an infraction (41-6a-1625(5)); the 2026 fine schedule lists $50 for unlawful use of a horn.

Off-highway vehicles. The 2026 fine schedule lists a $180 infraction under 41-22-13 for operating an off-highway vehicle in connection with excessive mechanical noise.

Boats. Under 73-18-11, the division "shall adopt rules for the regulating of muffling devices on all vessels," and "Unless otherwise specified, any person who violates any provision of this chapter or rule promulgated under this chapter is guilty of a class C misdemeanor" (73-18-21). The 2026 fine schedule lists vessel muffler violations under rule R650-222 as class C misdemeanors, with $180 for an insufficient or missing muffler.

Who sets quiet hours in Utah?

Statewide quiet hours apply in Utah state parks, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (covered below), and state law sets the days and hours when fireworks may be set off (below). For homes and neighborhoods, quiet hours and decibel limits are set by cities and towns.

Fireworks hours

Utah Code 53-7-225 sets statewide fireworks discharge times. A person may not discharge a division 1.4G common state approved explosive except "(a) between the hours of 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., except that on July 4 and July 24, the hours are 11 a.m. to midnight: (i) beginning on July 2 and ending on July 5; and (ii) beginning on July 22 and ending on July 25"; from 11 a.m. on December 31 to 1 a.m. the following day; from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on January 1; and from 11 a.m. on the Chinese New Year's eve to 1 a.m. the following day (53-7-225(3)). Discharging outside those dates and times is an infraction "punishable by a fine of up to $1,000" (53-7-225(4)); the 2026 fine schedule lists $160.

Local limits are narrow. "Except as provided in Subsection (5)(b) or (c), a county, a municipality, or the state forester may not prohibit a person from discharging a division 1.4G common state approved explosive during the permitted periods" (53-7-225(5)(a)). A city may prohibit discharge in certain areas with hazardous environmental conditions and may prohibit negligent discharge, and a county may prohibit negligent discharge (53-7-225(5)(b)).

City powers

Utah cities have broad ordinance power. Under 10-8-84(1), the municipal legislative body may pass ordinances "not repugnant to law" that are "necessary and proper to provide for the safety and preserve the health, and promote the prosperity, improve the morals, peace and good order, comfort, and convenience of the city and its inhabitants, and for the protection of property in the city." Under 10-8-60, cities "may declare what shall be a nuisance, and abate the same, and impose fines upon persons who may create, continue or suffer nuisances to exist."

To find your city's quiet hours, decibel limits and complaint process, look up the noise or nuisance chapter of the city's code on its website, or call the city's code enforcement office or the police non-emergency line.

Limits on city penalties for residence-use violations

Utah Code 10-3-703(1)(a) lets a city impose a criminal penalty for an ordinance violation "by a fine not to exceed the maximum class B misdemeanor fine under Section 76-3-301, by a term of imprisonment up to six months, or by both."

Subsection (1)(b), in the text as amended by Chapter 401 of 2026 (effective May 6, 2026), limits that power: "a municipality may not impose a criminal penalty greater than an infraction for a violation pertaining to an individual's pet, as defined in Section 4-12-102, or an individual's use of the individual's residence unless: (i) the violation: (A) is a private nuisance as that term is defined in Section 78B-6a-101; and (B) threatens the health, safety, or welfare of the individual or an identifiable third party; or (ii) the municipality has imposed a fine on the individual for a violation that involves the same residence or pet on three previous occasions within the past 12 months."

The section does not use the word noise. A city noise ordinance violation arising from the use of a person's own home may fall within the phrase "an individual's use of the individual's residence," which would hold the penalty to an infraction unless one of the two exceptions applies. "A municipality may not issue more than one infraction within a 14-day time period for a violation described in Subsection (1)(b) that is ongoing" (10-3-703(4)).

Cities have a civil route as well: "the governing body may prescribe a civil penalty for the violation of any municipal ordinance by a fine not to exceed the maximum class B misdemeanor fine under Section 76-3-301" (10-3-703(2)(a)). A municipal officer or official who is not a law enforcement officer or special function officer "may not issue a criminal citation for a violation that is punished as a misdemeanor," with exceptions for fire officers and animal control officers when a violation threatens the health and safety of an animal or the public (10-3-703(3)).

County powers

Counties have a parallel ordinance power. A county legislative body may pass ordinances "as are necessary and proper to provide for the safety, and preserve the health, promote the prosperity, improve the morals, peace, and good order, comfort, and convenience of the county and county inhabitants, and for the protection of property in the county" (17-64-501(1)(a)(ii)). A county ordinance fine "may not exceed the maximum fine for a class B misdemeanor under Section 76-3-301" (17-64-501(3)(a)(ii)). The same residence-use limit applies: a county "may not impose a criminal penalty greater than an infraction" for a violation pertaining to an individual's use of the individual's residence unless the violation is a private nuisance under 78B-6a-101 that threatens the health, safety, or welfare of the individual or an identifiable third party, or the county has fined the individual for a violation involving the same residence on three previous occasions within the past 12 months (17-64-501(3)(b)). "A county may not issue more than one infraction within a 14-day period for a violation described in Subsection (3)(b) that is ongoing" (17-64-501(5)).

Suing over noise: Utah's 2026 nuisance chapter

H.B. 591 (Chapter 401, 2026 General Session) created Title 78B, Chapter 6a, effective May 6, 2026. It changes how a neighbor can sue over noise.

Common law suits abrogated. Section 78B-6a-102 provides: "(1)(a) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this chapter abrogates any common law civil right of action for a public nuisance or a private nuisance in this state. ... (3) A person other than the attorney general may not bring a common law civil right of action for a public nuisance or private nuisance." The abrogation does not reach a common law claim "that accrued, or is pending in a court, before May 6, 2026" (78B-6a-102(1)(b)).

What a private nuisance is. For the chapter, "Private nuisance" means "a condition arising out of the use of real property that: (i) is injurious to health or safety, or is indecent or offensive to the senses, of an individual on an adjacent or neighboring property; or (ii) obstructs the free use of an adjacent or neighboring property so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property" (78B-6a-101(10)(a)). It expressly includes "a party house that frequently creates a condition described in Subsection (10)(a)" (78B-6a-101(10)(b)(v)). It does not include "(i) a public nuisance; (ii) an action or condition that is lawful; or (iii) an action or condition that is authorized, approved, licensed, or mandated by statute, ordinance, regulation, permit, license, order, rule, or other similar measure issued, adopted, promulgated, or approved by a government entity" (78B-6a-101(10)(c)).

Who may sue. Under 78B-6a-302(1), a person has a right of action for a private nuisance if "(a) the person owns or possesses a legal interest in the real property that is the subject of the action; and (b) the person's real property is injuriously affected by the private nuisance or the person's personal enjoyment is lessened by the private nuisance." Both conditions are required.

Remedies. If the person prevails, the court may "(a) award damages; (b) order the nuisance to be enjoined or abated" and "(d) award costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party as described in Section 78B-6a-103" (78B-6a-302(2)). Section 78B-6a-103(1) allows the court to award costs, "including the costs of investigation and discovery, and reasonable attorney fees," to the prevailing party in an action to abate a nuisance under the chapter.

Public nuisance suits by private parties. A private party has a right of action for a public nuisance only if, among other requirements, "the private party can establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that the private party has suffered special injury" (78B-6a-203(1)(c)).

Shooting ranges

Section 78B-6a-407(1) bars nuisance suits over range noise in two situations: "A person or government entity does not have a right of action under this chapter against a person who operates or uses a shooting range in this state for noise or noise pollution resulting from the operation or use of the shooting range if the shooting range: (a) (i) was established, constructed, or operated before the implementation of any noise ordinances, rules, or regulations; and (ii) does not substantially and adversely affect public health or safety; or (b) (i) is in compliance with any noise control laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations that applied to the shooting range ... at the time of establishment, construction, or initial operation ...; and (ii) does not substantially and adversely affect public health or safety."

Under 78B-6a-407(2), "noise generated by a shooting range that is operated in accordance with nationally recognized standards and operating practices does not constitute a public nuisance or a private nuisance."

H.B. 591 also moved former section 47-3-202 to 53-5a-703. Section 53-5a-703(1) requires state agencies and political subdivisions to ensure that their rules or ordinances defining or prohibiting a public nuisance "exclude from the definition or prohibition any shooting range or public shooting range that was established, constructed, or operated before the implementation of the rule or ordinance regarding public nuisance unless that activity or operation substantially and adversely affects public health or safety." For a new subdivision located in whole or in part within 1,000 feet of an established shooting range, the developer must put a "Shooting Range Area" notice on any plat filed with the county recorder (53-5a-703(2)).

Farms and right to farm

Under 78B-6a-404(1)(a), "A person or government entity does not have a right of action under this chapter for a private nuisance that is an agricultural operation if: (i) the plaintiff is not a legal possessor of the real property affected ...; (ii) the real property affected ... is located outside one-half mile of the source of the activity or structure alleged to be the public nuisance or private nuisance; or (iii) the action is filed more than one year after: (A) the establishment of the agricultural operation; or (B) the agricultural operation undergoes a fundamental change." Any one of the three conditions bars the suit.

The section reaches further. Under 404(2), "(a) A person or government entity does not have a right of action under this chapter for a private nuisance that is an agricultural operation if the agricultural operation is conducted in the normal and ordinary course of an agricultural operation or conducted in accordance with sound agricultural practices. (b) An agricultural operation undertaken in conformity with federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including zoning ordinances, is presumed to be operating within sound agricultural practices." Under 404(3), there is no right of action for a public or private nuisance involving an agricultural activity "conducted within an agriculture protection area" that is not in violation of any federal, state, or local law or regulation relating to the alleged nuisance or was conducted according to sound agricultural practices. In a nuisance action over an agricultural operation, the court "shall award costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney fees," to a defendant when the action is frivolous or malicious, or to a plaintiff when the operation is a nuisance and the defendant asserts an affirmative defense that is "frivolous and malicious" (404(4)).

Highway and commuter rail construction

Section 72-6-112.5, as amended by H.B. 591, exempts two kinds of state projects from local noise rules: "(2) The following projects are exempt from any noise ordinance, regulation, or standard of a local jurisdictional authority: (a) a state highway construction project conducted on a road where the normal posted speed limit is 55 miles per hour or greater; or (b) a commuter rail construction project." Other state highway and public transit construction projects are exempt from local noise rules under 72-6-112.5(3) only if the department "provides reasonable written notice at least 48 hours in advance of any required nighttime construction to each residential dwelling located within front row receptors of the activity," determines that a net community benefit exists after considering listed factors, and "institutes best management noise reduction practices."

State park quiet hours

Utah Admin. Code R651-606-8 provides: "No person shall operate or allow the operation of a generator, audio device; make or allow the making of unreasonable noises from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m."

A person violating park rules "may be expelled from the park area by a ranger or other law enforcement officer, and prohibited from returning for 48 hours" (R651-610-1). The 2026 fine schedule lists a quiet hours violation under R651-606-8 as an infraction with a $210 amount.

What to do about a noisy neighbor in Utah

1. Check your city or county code for quiet hours, decibel limits and how complaints are handled.
2. Ask the person to stop, or have police ask. Under 76-9-102(3)(b), disorderly conduct becomes a class C misdemeanor when the violation occurs after the person has been asked to cease.
3. Call the police non-emergency line for noise that can be heard in a public place, or city code enforcement for an ordinance violation.
4. If you rent, Utah law says a renter may not "interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of the residential rental unit of another renter" (57-22-5(2)(b)), and a tenant who "suffers, permits, or maintains on or about the premises any nuisance" after service of "a three calendar days' notice to quit" is guilty of unlawful detainer (78B-6-802(1)(f)). Report a noisy co-tenant to the landlord in writing. See our guide to Utah landlord-tenant laws.
5. A civil suit now runs through the 2026 nuisance chapter, and only a person with a legal interest in the affected real property may bring one (78B-6a-302).

For holiday fireworks, see our guide to Utah fireworks laws.

Related pages

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• Utah landlord-tenant laws
• Utah fireworks laws
• Idaho noise ordinance laws
• Colorado noise ordinance laws

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

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the noise laws in Utah?

Making unreasonable noises in a public place, or in a private place where they can be heard in a public place, with intent or recklessness as to public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm, is disorderly conduct (Utah Code 76-9-102). Cities and towns set quiet hours and decibel limits by ordinance.

What are quiet hours in Utah?

Utah state parks have quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (R651-606-8). State law also sets fireworks discharge hours (generally 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., to midnight on July 4 and July 24, on the dates in 53-7-225(3)), and cities and counties may not ban discharge in those periods except in hazardous areas or for negligent discharge (53-7-225(5)). Quiet hours for homes are set by your city or town ordinance.

Is a loud neighbor disorderly conduct in Utah?

It can be if the noise is unreasonable, can be heard in a public place such as a street or an apartment building's common areas, and is made with intent or recklessness as to public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm (76-9-102). It is an infraction unless it continues after the neighbor has been asked to cease, which makes it a class C misdemeanor.

What is the fine for disorderly conduct noise in Utah?

The 2026 Uniform Fine Schedule lists $160 for the infraction, $350 for the class C misdemeanor after being asked to cease, and $690 for the class B misdemeanor with a prior within five years. The statutory maximums are $750 for an infraction or class C misdemeanor and $1,000 for a class B misdemeanor (76-3-301).

What is the fine for a loud muffler in Utah?

An improper muffler or noise-suppressing system is an infraction under 41-6a-1626, and the 2026 fine schedule lists $50. The schedule notes that the charge must be dismissed if the violation is resolved within 14 days of citation.

Can I sue my neighbor for noise in Utah?

Since May 6, 2026, a private nuisance suit must be brought under Title 78B, Chapter 6a, which abrogates common law nuisance suits (78B-6a-102). You must own or possess a legal interest in the affected real property, and the property must be injuriously affected or your personal enjoyment lessened (78B-6a-302). A private nuisance under the chapter excludes an action or condition that is lawful or authorized by statute, ordinance, permit or license, and includes a party house that frequently creates a nuisance condition (78B-6a-101(10)). Common law claims that accrued or were pending in court before May 6, 2026 are not abrogated (78B-6a-102(1)(b)).

Can a Utah city jail someone for a noise violation at home?

A city's or county's criminal penalty for a violation pertaining to a person's use of their residence is limited to an infraction unless the violation is a private nuisance that threatens health, safety, or welfare, or the city or county has fined the person for a violation involving the same residence on three previous occasions within 12 months (10-3-703(1)(b), 17-64-501(3)(b)). For an ongoing violation of that kind, only one infraction may be issued within a 14-day period (10-3-703(4), 17-64-501(5)).