Eagle Mountain's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Eagle Mountain, Utah, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Barking Dogs

Eagle Mountain bans owning or keeping an animal that makes frequent or habitual sound rising to a noise disturbance as defined in the noise chapter. EMMC 8.15.080(E) applies to every private and public facility, including boarding kennels and animal shelters, and violators face the same Class B misdemeanor penalty as any other noise offense.

Key details: Governing section: EMMC 8.15.080(E). Covers: Pets, kennels, shelters, vet clinics. Standard: Frequent or habitual sound causing disturbance. Per se trigger: 85 dBA at any time. Penalty: Class B misdemeanor, up to $1,000.

A violation of EMMC 8.15.080(E) is a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. EMMC 8.15.100 treats each day the disturbance continues as a separate violation and lets the city attorney seek civil or criminal abatement, with the animal's owner liable for the city's costs of abating the disturbance.

Construction Hours

Construction work in Eagle Mountain is barred during the city's restricted noise hours of 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. under EMMC 8.15.080(G), unless the city engineer authorizes extended hours for continuous, safety-critical, or traffic-related work. Emergency work by the city or utility providers is exempt from the restriction entirely.

Key details: Restricted hours: 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Governing section: EMMC 8.15.080(G). Extension authority: City engineer or designee. Council notice: Required for approved restricted-hour work. Emergency work: Exempt automatically.

Construction noise outside permitted hours is a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. EMMC 8.15.100 makes each day of unauthorized after-hours work a separate violation, and the city attorney can pursue civil or criminal abatement with the contractor liable for the city's enforcement costs.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

Eagle Mountain bars radios, musical instruments, and other sound-reproduction devices from being played audibly beyond a property line, or plainly audible 15 feet away in public places at any time, under EMMC 8.15.080(B). Public loudspeakers and sound-amplifying equipment used for advertising or announcements are separately restricted under EMMC 8.15.080(C).

Key details: Device rule: EMMC 8.15.080(B). Public-space trigger: Plainly audible 15 feet, any time. Loudspeaker rule: EMMC 8.15.080(C). Per se cap: 85 dBA at any time. Restricted hours: 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m..

Amplified sound in violation of EMMC 8.15.080(B) or (C) is a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. EMMC 8.15.100 makes each day of the violation a separate offense and authorizes the city attorney to pursue civil or criminal abatement with costs charged to the violator.

Aircraft Noise

Eagle Mountain bans flying an internal-combustion-powered model aircraft, tethered or remote controlled, or firing model rockets, in a way that violates the city's noise-disturbance standard. EMMC 8.15.080(K) applies the same 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. restricted hours and 85-decibel per se cap that govern every other prohibited noise source.

Key details: Governing section: EMMC 8.15.080(K). Covered devices: Internal-combustion model aircraft, model rockets. Not covered: Electric model aircraft. Per se cap: 85 dBA at any time. Park hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., EMMC 8.15.070(D).

Flying a noise-producing model aircraft or rocket in violation of EMMC 8.15.080(K) is a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. EMMC 8.15.100 treats each day the violation is committed or continued as a separate offense subject to its own penalty.

Vehicle Noise

Eagle Mountain bars operating a motor vehicle with a Jake brake or other dynamic braking device engaged except to avoid imminent danger, and separately requires every vehicle's exhaust system to be free of sound-reduction defects, fitted with a working muffler, and free of any cutout or bypass device. EMMC 8.15.080(L) and (S) govern.

Key details: Jake brake rule: EMMC 8.15.080(L). Exhaust/muffler rule: EMMC 8.15.080(S). Idling limit: 15 minutes in residential zone, EMMC 8.15.080(O). Defective-vehicle rule: EMMC 8.15.080(M). Penalty: Class B misdemeanor, up to $1,000.

A violation of EMMC 8.15.080(L) or (S) is a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. EMMC 8.15.100 makes each day a defective muffler or an engaged Jake brake continues in use a separate violation, with the city attorney able to pursue abatement.

Decibel Limits

Eagle Mountain caps most zones at 65 dBA during restricted hours under EMMC 8.15.070(B) and its zoning table, with industrial and light manufacturing zones allowed up to 75 dBA. Any sound of 85 decibels or louder is a violation at any time, in any zone.

Key details: Most-zone cap: 65 dBA during restricted hours. Industrial/Light Mfg cap: 75 dBA during restricted hours. Absolute ceiling: 85 dBA violation at any time. Measurement distance: 25 feet from source or property line. Governing section: EMMC 8.15.070(B), Table 8.15.070(1).

Exceeding the zone's dBA cap under Table 8.15.070(1), or hitting 85 decibels or louder at any time, is a per se noise disturbance under EMMC 8.15.070(B). Eagle Mountain treats a Chapter 8.15 violation as a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months of incarceration, or both, with each day of continued violation counting separately.

Quiet Hours

Eagle Mountain's noise ordinance restricts loud sound from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. citywide under EMMC 8.15.070(C), with later curfews for city parks and privately owned golf courses. Violating the noise chapter is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.

Key details: Standard quiet hours: 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Park quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. Golf course quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.. Criminal penalty: Class B misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine. Enforcing official: Mayor or mayor's designated agent.

A confirmed quiet-hours violation under EMMC 8.15.070(C) is a Class B misdemeanor under EMMC 8.15.040, carrying up to a $1,000 fine or up to six months of incarceration, or both. Each day the noise continues is a separate violation, and the city attorney can pursue civil or criminal abatement action, with the violator liable for the city's costs of abating the disturbance.

The Bottom Line

Eagle Mountain's noise ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Eagle Mountain is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Eagle Mountain's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.