How Tinley Park Handles Noise Ordinances: A Practical Guide
Tinley Park maintains 103 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with noise ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Tinley Park falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Vehicle Noise
Tinley Park bans motor vehicles that create loud grinding, rattling or grating noise audible from nearby properties, and requires every vehicle to keep a working muffler and exhaust system. Muffler cut-outs, bypass pipes and altered baffle plates are illegal under Village Code § 70.11. Racing or stunting near hospitals, nursing homes and residential areas is also prohibited.
Key details: Governing section: Village Code § 70.11. Muffler cut-outs: Prohibited; baffle plates and screens must stay intact. Max fine: $500 per offense under § 70.99. Racing/stunting: Banned near hospitals, nursing homes, residential areas. Enacted: Ord. 2000-O-046, passed July 18, 2000.
A citation under § 70.11 carries the general title penalty of § 70.99: a fine of up to $500 per offense, since no separate penalty is listed for this section. Each day a vehicle keeps an illegal cut-out muffler or exceeds the decibel threshold is a separate violation, and the code independently labels a violation a public nuisance, which the village can pursue through nuisance abatement in addition to the fine.
Decibel Limits
Tinley Park sets numeric decibel thresholds for motor vehicle noise: 86 dB(A) on roads posted 35 mph or under, and 90 dB(A) on faster roads, both measured 50 feet from the travel lane. Village Code § 70.11(E) makes a vehicle at or above those levels a conclusive, automatic violation, no officer judgment call required.
Key details: Threshold, roads 35 mph or less: 86 dB(A) at 50 feet. Threshold, roads over 35 mph: 90 dB(A) at 50 feet. Measurement method: Fast meter response, 35 Ill. Admin. Code § 900.103. Governing section: Village Code § 70.11(E). Max fine: $500 per offense under § 70.99.
Exceeding 86 dB(A) on a 35-mph-or-slower street, or 90 dB(A) on a faster one, measured 50 feet from the travel lane, is a conclusive violation of § 70.11 carrying the § 70.99 fine of up to $500 per offense. No separate decibel-specific penalty exists, so each measured incident is charged under the section's general title penalty.
Construction Hours
Tinley Park bars loud construction and property maintenance work, like power lawnmowers, pneumatic hammers, or tractors, between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. near residential buildings, and between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. near non-residential buildings, under Village Code § 98.02(M). Emergency repairs addressing an immediate safety threat are exempt.
Key details: Residential curfew: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Non-residential curfew: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. Radius test: Majority of buildings within 300 feet. Exception: Emergency repairs for immediate safety threats. Penalty: Up to $750 per offense, § 98.99(B).
Running loud construction or property-maintenance equipment during the barred night-time hours is a nuisance under § 98.02(M) and, as a Chapter 98 violation not otherwise specifically penalized, is punishable under § 98.99(B) by a fine of up to $750. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, so an overnight jobsite that runs past 10:00 p.m. on multiple nights can be fined for each one.
Barking Dogs
Tinley Park treats a dog or animal that barks, whines or howls enough to disturb neighbors' peace, at any hour, as a code violation under § 91.10. If the noisy animal is outside and its owner can't be reached by phone or other reasonable means, the Animal Control Officer or any police officer may enter the property, short of any building, to seize and impound it.
Key details: Standard: Barking/howling that disturbs neighbors' peace. Timing: Applies any time of day or night. Seizure trigger: Owner unreachable by phone or other means. Entry limit: Officers may enter property, not any building. Penalty: $50-$750 per § 10.99, per day.
A sustained barking or howling nuisance is a general code violation under § 10.99, punishable by a fine of $50 to $750, with each day of continued disturbance a separate offense. Beyond the fine, an owner who cannot be reached to quiet an outdoor dog risks having it impounded on the spot under § 91.10(B) and held at the shelter under the § 91.08 redemption process.
The Bottom Line
Tinley Park'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 Tinley Park is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Tinley Park can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.