Noise from Specific Sources in Arvada, CO

If you live in Arvada or are thinking about moving there, noise from specific sources are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Arvada has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of noise from specific sources, and some of them might surprise you.

Delivery Truck Noise

Arvada makes it unlawful to load, unload, or handle boxes, crates, or containers, including garbage containers, in a way that creates a noise disturbance between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., directly covering late-night delivery-truck and loading-dock noise.

Key details: Restricted hours: 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Covered conduct: Loading/unloading/handling containers. Standard applied: Creates a "noise disturbance". Penalty route: Sec. 38-33 imports Sec. 1-5. Maximum fine: $2,650.00 per offense.

Handling containers loudly enough to disturb neighbors between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is punished under the general penalty Section 38-33 imports from Section 1-5: a fine up to $2,650.00, up to 364 days in jail, or both, per offense. Section 1-5(d) makes each night of repeated violations a separate offense, so a business with a recurring early-morning delivery schedule can accumulate a new citation every time officers document a disturbance.

HVAC & Mechanical Noise

Arvada requires every air conditioning compressor to be completely screened and any rooftop, wall- or ground-mounted mechanical equipment that generates noise perceptible at the street or property line to be baffled or otherwise attenuated to direct the sound upward, under Land Development Code Section 5-1-2-3(A)(10). The rule applies to new development, redevelopment, and building expansions, alongside separate screening standards for vents, flues, and utility meters.

Key details: AC compressor screening: Required, completely screened. Noise attenuation duty: Baffle noise audible at property line. Screening materials: Match building's predominant façade. Director waiver: Allowed for grade constraints. Occupancy hold: Screening due before certificate of occupancy.

An unscreened compressor or HVAC unit whose noise carries to the street or a neighboring lot violates Section 10-1-2-1(A)(1) of the LDC and can hold up a certificate of occupancy under Section 8-4-4-3(C)(6). Continued noncompliance after notice exposes the owner to a misdemeanor under Section 10-1-2-3, with a fine up to the Section 1-5 cap of $2,650 and/or 180 days in jail.

Car Alarm Limits

Arvada's alarm ordinance, which charges alarm users an administrative fee for false alarms police respond to, expressly excludes vehicle alarms from its definition of a regulated 'alarm system' under City Code § 34-71. A car alarm is not billed under that scheme; a blaring vehicle alarm is instead reachable only under the city's general noise-disturbance ban in § 38-61, since the alarm/bell rule in § 38-62(1) covers only clocks, schools, churches, and government buildings.

Key details: Vehicle alarm status: Excluded from § 34-71 alarm-fee definition. False-alarm fee: Does not apply to vehicle alarms. Institutional bell/chime limit: Barred 9pm-7am, § 38-62(1). Catch-all remedy: General noise disturbance ban, § 38-61. General penalty: Up to $2,650 fine or 364 days jail.

There is no dedicated car-alarm citation in Arvada's code. A car alarm can only be charged as a general noise disturbance under § 38-61, punishable under § 38-33 by the § 1-5 fine schedule (up to $2,650, up to 364 days jail, or both). Vehicle alarms carry no separate administrative false-alarm fee because § 34-71 excludes them from that ordinance entirely.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Arvada gives residents more flexibility on car alarm limits.

Bar & Nightclub Noise

Arvada bars, taverns and nightclubs next to a residential use cannot let exterior noise, including patio speakers and sound leaking from inside the building, exceed 45 dBA at the property line between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Outdoor entertainment is banned outright during those hours, and clubs in the CN zoning district must close by 11:00 p.m.

Key details: Noise limit: 45 dBA at property line, 9 p.m.-7 a.m.. Outdoor entertainment: banned near housing 9 p.m.-7 a.m.. CN district hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. only. Screening required: 6-ft wall/fence next to RA, RN, R6. Citation: LDC § 3-1-3-4.D.

Operating over 45 dBA after 9:00 p.m., running outdoor entertainment past that hour next to housing, or skipping the required screening wall are Code violations under Arvada's general penalty section, Sec. 1-5: up to a $2,650 fine, up to 364 days in jail, or both, for each offense. Because Sec. 1-5 treats a continuing violation as a new offense every day it persists, a nightclub that ignores a citation and keeps operating past the cutoff faces a fresh charge daily until it complies.

Generator Noise

A generator running in your yard counts as a stationary source of noise under Arvada's noise ordinance, which caps sound at the property line at 55 dB(A) by day and 50 dB(A) at night in residential districts under Code of Ordinances Section 38-91, Table I. Louder generator noise, or noise that creates a disturbance under Section 38-61, is unlawful unless a City permit or emergency exemption applies.

Key details: Residential daytime limit: 55 dB(A) (7 a.m.-9 p.m.). Residential nighttime limit: 50 dB(A) (9 p.m.-7 a.m.). Measurement period: 10+ minutes, 90% of the time. Relief permit: Apply to city manager, §38-35. Emergency exemption: Genuine emergency/safety work, §38-63.

Running a generator above the Table I decibel limits, or loud enough to create a noise disturbance under Section 38-61, is a misdemeanor. Section 38-33 sets the penalty at a fine up to the Section 1-5 cap, currently $2,650, and/or up to 364 days in jail, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense; Arvada Police enforce noise complaints directly.

The Bottom Line

Arvada's noise from specific sources 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 Arvada is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Arvada's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.