Noise from Specific Sources in Albuquerque, NM (2026)
5 verified noise from specific sources rules for Albuquerque, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Air conditioners, heat pumps and other fixed mechanical equipment must stay under Albuquerque's residential sound limits: 55 dB(A) daytime, 50 dB(A) at night.
Albuquerque HVAC & AC Unit Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsRevised Ordinances of Albuquerque § 9-9-7(A)
Except for emergency work as defined in this article, no person shall operate or allow the operation of any stationary machinery, equipment, fan, air-conditioning apparatus, or similar permanently installed mechanical device in any manner so as to create noise which results in exceedance of the sound level limits specified in § 9-9-4.
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Albuquerque gives its Downtown Arts and Entertainment Focus Area a higher noise ceiling than the rest of the city: 65 dB(A) by day and 60 dB(A) at night, versus 55/50 for residential receptors.
Bar & Nightclub Noise Limits in Albuquerque
Some Restrictions§ 9-9-2, § 9-9-4 (Table 1)
DOWNTOWN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS AREA. The area designated as the Downtown Arts and Entertainment Focus Area in the Integrated Development Ordinance. ... Except as otherwise provided in this article, no person shall make or continue, cause to be made or continued, or allow to be made or continued, any sound that persistently or continuously results in an exceedance of the following sound l...
Generator Noise
Albuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance sets no citywide generator curfew; instead it regulates two specific commercial land uses. A Community Garden may only run power equipment or generators between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and a Mobile Food Truck Court cannot use generators at all under the zoning code the Planning Department enforces.
Albuquerque Generator Noise Rules: Gardens, Food Trucks
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance §§ 14-16-4-3(D)(1)(d), 14-16-4-3(D)(11)(g)
Operation of power equipment or generators shall not occur between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. ... The use of generators is prohibited.
Delivery Truck Noise
Unattended delivery trucks under 22,000 lbs can't be left running during pickup or drop-off, on public or private property, city-wide.
Albuquerque Bans Idling Delivery Trucks
Some RestrictionsRevised Ordinances of Albuquerque § 8-5-1-41
No delivery vehicle with a G.V.W. rating of less than 22,000 pounds which is left unattended by its driver during pickup or delivery, whether on public right-of-way or private property, shall be left with the motor running.
Low-Frequency Bass Limits
Albuquerque regulates thumping bass and other low-frequency noise separately from ordinary sound, using a C-weighted decibel scale that is more sensitive to bass than the standard A-weighted meter. Residential daytime bass is capped at 60 dB(C) and drops to 55 dB(C) at night.
Albuquerque C-Weighted Bass Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Code of Ordinances § 9-9-4(B)
(B) Except as otherwise provided in this article, no person shall make or continue, cause to be made or continued, or allow to be made or continued, any sound that persistently or continuously results in an exceedance of the following sound level limits using an approved sound-level meter measuring decibels on the C-Weighted scale. Table 2 (C-Weighted measurements in decibels (dB))... Residen...
Looking for Bernalillo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Albuquerque city rules.
Noise from Specific Sources in Bernalillo County →