Lima's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Lima, Ohio, there are 10 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.

Quiet Hours

Lima has no fixed clock-based quiet hours. Instead, Codified Ordinance 648.20 bans any 'noise disturbance' that crosses a property boundary at any hour, day or night, judged by whether it disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities.

Key details: Code section: Lima C.O. 648.20. Quiet hours: No fixed clock hours. Standard: Noise disturbance / nuisance. First fine: $100. Enforcement: Police, Code Enforcement.

First conviction $100; second within one year $250; third or subsequent within one year $500. No part of the fine may be suspended or reduced.

Amplified Music & Events

Lima Codified Ordinance 648.20 prohibits operating radios, loudspeakers, and sound-reproduction devices so as to create a noise disturbance across a property boundary, in or about a vehicle, or in a public place. Fines run from $100 to $500.

Key details: Code section: Lima C.O. 648.20. Covers: Radios, loudspeakers, stereos. Decibel limit: None; nuisance test. Permit exemption: Special City permit. Max fine: $500.

$100 first conviction; $250 second within one year; $500 third or subsequent within one year. No portion of the fine may be suspended or reduced.

Outdoor Music

Outdoor music, live bands, and party sound systems are regulated in Lima as a 'noise disturbance' under Codified Ordinance 648.20 when they cross a property boundary. Permitted public events are exempt.

Key details: Governing rule: Lima C.O. 648.20. Covers: Live and recorded music. Permit exemption: Special City permit. Decibel cap: None. First fine: $100.

$100 first conviction, $250 second within a year, $500 third or subsequent within a year, with no suspension of any part of the fine.

Industrial Noise

Lima has no separate industrial decibel standard. Commercial and industrial noise is regulated through the general 'noise disturbance' rule in Codified Ordinance 648.20 and zoning; heavy uses are separated from homes by Lima's zoning districts.

Key details: Industrial dB limit: None in city code. General rule: Lima C.O. 648.20. Primary control: Zoning separation. Occupational noise: OSHA / Ohio EPA. First fine: $100.

Noise-disturbance citations under 648.20 carry $100/$250/$500 fines for first/second/third convictions within a year, with no fine suspension.

Leaf Blower Rules

Lima has no leaf-blower-specific ordinance and no ban on gas blowers. Leaf blowers and lawn equipment are treated like any other noise source under the general noise-disturbance standard of Codified Ordinance 648.20.

Key details: Leaf blower ban: None in Lima. Set use hours: None specified. Governing rule: Lima C.O. 648.20. Gas blowers: Permitted. First fine: $100 if cited.

If treated as a noise disturbance under 648.20: $100 first, $250 second within a year, $500 third within a year, with no suspension of the fine.

Construction Hours

Lima's Codified Ordinances set no specific clock hours for construction work. Construction noise is instead governed by the general noise-disturbance standard of Ordinance 648.20, which bars unreasonably loud or unnecessary noise across property lines at any hour.

Key details: Fixed hours: None in city code. Governing rule: Lima C.O. 648.20 nuisance. Best practice: Daytime hours only. First fine: $100. Chapter: 648 Peace Disturbances.

Cited as a noise disturbance under 648.20: $100 first offense, $250 second within a year, $500 third within a year, no suspension of the fine.

Vehicle Noise

Loud car stereos are cited under Lima Ordinance 648.20. Exhaust and muffler noise is controlled by Ohio Revised Code 4513.22, which requires every vehicle and motorcycle to have a working muffler preventing excessive or unusual noise.

Key details: Car stereo rule: Lima C.O. 648.20. Muffler/exhaust rule: ORC 4513.22. Cutouts/bypass: Prohibited on highways. Exhaust penalty: Minor misdemeanor. Enforcement: Lima Police.

648.20 stereo violations: $100/$250/$500. ORC 4513.22 muffler violations are a minor misdemeanor, up to $150 first offense, escalating with repeats.

Barking Dogs

Persistent barking or animal noise that disturbs neighbors is enforceable in Lima as a 'noise disturbance' under Codified Ordinance 648.20. Ohio Revised Code 955.22 separately requires owners to keep dogs under reasonable control.

Key details: City rule: Lima C.O. 648.20. State dog law: ORC 955.22. Standard: Unreasonable disturbance. Dog authority: Allen County Dog Warden. First fine: $100.

Noise-disturbance fines under 648.20 are $100/$250/$500 for first/second/third convictions within a year. ORC 955.22 confinement violations are a minor misdemeanor escalating with repeat offenses.

Decibel Limits

No. Lima's noise ordinance does not set numeric decibel (dBA) limits. Codified Ordinance 648.20 uses a qualitative 'noise disturbance' standard judged by whether the noise unreasonably disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities.

Key details: Decibel limit: None adopted. Standard used: Qualitative disturbance test. Meter required: No. Code section: Lima C.O. 648.20. Max fine: $500.

As a noise disturbance under 648.20: $100 first, $250 second within a year, $500 third within a year, with no part of the fine suspended.

Aircraft Noise

Lima cannot regulate aircraft noise. Aircraft operations and noise are governed exclusively by the FAA under federal law, which preempts local ordinances. Lima's noise code (648.20) applies only to ground-based sources.

Key details: City authority: None; federally preempted. Governing body: FAA. Local airport: Lima Allen County (AOH). City code covers: Ground-based noise only. Where to complain: Airport / FAA.

Not applicable at the city level; aircraft noise is a federal (FAA) matter and is not enforced under Lima Ordinance 648.20.

The Bottom Line

Lima'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 Lima is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Lima's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.