Flint's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Flint, Michigan, there are 8 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.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

The City of Flint caps amplified music and sound systems at places of public entertainment at 100 dB(A), unless the venue posts a hearing-damage warning sign at each entrance.

Key details: Sound cap: 100 dB(A) at customer area. Escape valve: post hearing-damage warning sign. Applies to: places of public entertainment. Private outdoor noise: governed by § 31-72(b)(1) instead.

Exceeding 100 dB(A) without the required warning sign is a misdemeanor under § 31-78, punishable by up to a $1,500 fine, 90 days in jail, or both.

Quiet Hours

Flint's noise ordinance defines nighttime as 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and applies tighter limits during those hours, including a ban on outdoor power tools in residential areas that create a noise disturbance.

Key details: Nighttime hours: 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.. Governing sections: §§ 31-70, 31-72(b). Power tools: banned outdoors at night if disruptive. Emergency exception: yes, for power tools.

Violating the nighttime restrictions in § 31-72(b) is a noise disturbance offense under Article II; the general Flint Code penalty of up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days applies where no specific penalty is stated.

Leaf Blower Rules

The City of Flint bars running power saws, sanders, grinders, or lawn and garden tools such as leaf blowers outdoors in residential areas overnight if it disturbs a neighbor's property.

Key details: Restricted hours: 9 p.m.–8 a.m.. Covers: saws, sanders, lawn/garden tools. Exception: emergencies allowed anytime. Daytime use: exempt if normal and customary.

Nighttime violations are misdemeanors under § 31-78: a fine up to $1,500, up to 90 days in jail, or both; first offenders may plead guilty and pay $25 instead.

Vehicle Noise

City of Flint Code § 28-132 bars horns and warning devices that emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound, bars sirens, whistles, and bells on anything other than authorized emergency vehicles, and bars muffler cut-outs and bypasses on a highway.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 28-132. Muffler cut-outs: Prohibited on any highway. Sirens/whistles/bells: Emergency vehicles only. Horn range required: Audible from 200 feet. Horn standard: No unreasonably loud or harsh sound or whistle.

Violating § 28-132 is a traffic ordinance civil infraction, enforced by the Flint Police Department at a traffic stop; repeat equipment violations can support a defective-equipment citation.

Aircraft Noise

The City of Flint's Noise Control Ordinance does not apply to aircraft. Section 31-77(e) lists aircraft and trains among the exemptions, so the decibel limits and the noise disturbance ban in Chapter 31, Article II cannot be enforced against them. Chapter 5 regulates engine run-ups at the airport for safety, not sound level.

Key details: Exemption text: Aircraft and trains (§ 31-77(e)). Conditions on exemption: None printed: no hours, decibel or permit limit. Airport run-up rule: § 5-45(d): no run-up where dangerous to property or person. Run-up defined: Stationary engine operation for warm-up, testing or inspection. Article penalty (not aircraft): Up to $1,500.00, 90 days, or both.

Section 31-78 penalizes violations of the Noise Control article with a fine of not more than $1,500.00, imprisonment of not more than ninety (90) days, or both, on conviction. Because § 31-77(e) exempts aircraft from the article, that penalty does not attach to aircraft sound. Other sources of sound in the same neighborhood, such as a loud stereo or a barking dog, stay under the article.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Flint gives residents more flexibility on aircraft noise.

Barking Dogs

The City of Flint makes it unlawful to own or harbor any dog, cat, or bird that habitually barks, howls, meows, or squawks loudly enough to disturb a residential neighbor.

Key details: Covers: dogs, cats, and birds. Timing: applies any time of day. Trigger: habitual noise crossing property line. Max penalty: $1,500 fine or 90 days.

A violation carries the same Article II penalty as any other noise offense: a fine up to $1,500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, under § 31-78.

Construction Hours

Building work in the City of Flint is exempt from the Noise Control Ordinance between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays. At any other time, including weekends and legal holidays, the work needs a permit from the Department of Building and Safety Inspection, issued on the findings listed in § 31-77(f)(2).

Key details: Exempt window: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays. Weekday defined: Monday through Friday, not a legal holiday (§ 31-71). Off-hours permit: Department of Building and Safety Inspection. Work covered: Erection (including excavating), demolition, alteration or repair of any building. Maximum fine: $1,500.00, or up to 90 days, or both.

Section 31-78 sets the penalty for violating any provision of the article. On conviction the fine is not more than $1,500.00, or imprisonment of not more than ninety (90) days, or both. A person served with an appearance ticket can waive arraignment, plead guilty and pay $25.00 at the District Court Clerk's office, but only if never before convicted of a violation of this article. The enforcing officer can sign the complaint, so no neighbor has to.

Decibel Limits

The City of Flint caps continuous noise from industrial-zoned property at 70 dB(A) in daytime and 65 dB(A) at night, measured at the receiving property's boundary line.

Key details: Industrial cap: 70 dB(A) day, 65 dB(A) night. Measured at: receiving property's boundary line. Continuous noise: varies less than 5 dB(A). Zones covered: E, F, G industrial districts.

Exceeding the cap is a misdemeanor under § 31-78: a fine up to $1,500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

The Bottom Line

Flint'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 Flint is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Flint can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, which shows when its source was last checked.