Noise Ordinances in Des Moines, IA (2026)
7 verified noise ordinances for Des Moines, Iowa, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Des Moines residential zones face a stricter nighttime noise limit, 60 dBA and 50 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., under the city's sound-level ordinance, enforced by the community development and police departments.
Des Moines Nighttime Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code § 42-254(a)
no person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any sound which exceeds the following sound level limits at or within the real property boundary of a receiving land use: Table 1. Sound Levels By Receiving Land Use Zoning Category of Receiving Land Use Time Sound Level Limit Unamplified limit in dBA Amplified limit in dBC P1 and residential zones: N1-N5, NX1-NX3, NX2a, NM...
Construction Hours
Des Moines bans construction, drilling, and demolition noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. citywide, with narrow variances for utility maintenance and city-approved nonprofit housing projects working under an expedited construction schedule.
Des Moines Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code § 42-260
No person shall operate or permit the operation of any tools or equipment in construction, drilling or demolition work or in preventive maintenance work for public service utilities between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Barking Dogs
Des Moines bans owning or keeping any animal or bird whose frequent, sustained sounds create a noise disturbance across a residential property line or in a noise-sensitive area.
Des Moines Barking Dog Noise Rule
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code § 42-262
No person shall own, possess or harbor any animal or bird which frequently or for continued duration emits sounds native to the species which are a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or within a noise sensitive area.
Leaf Blower Rules
Des Moines exempts electric power tools and motor-powered, muffler-equipped lawn and garden equipment, leaf blowers included, from its citywide noise limits only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Run one outside that window and it must meet the same decibel cap as any other noise source.
Des Moines Leaf Blower Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code Sec. 42-254(a)(2)
...this subsection shall not apply to: ... (2) The operation of the following domestic power tools or equipment between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.: a. Electrical power tools. b. Motor-powered, muffler-equipped lawn, garden and tree trimming equipment.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Des Moines requires a sound permit for amplified music or speech that creates a noise disturbance, capping most outdoor events at 85 dBC and limiting the hours and zoning districts where it's allowed.
Des Moines Amplified Sound Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code § 42-258(f)(1)
(1)Type "A" permit. A type "A" permit may be issued for sound equipment emitting live music, reproduced music or human speech registering not more than 85 dBCs when measured at the real property boundary of the permitted property or at a distance of 50 feet from the sound equipment if issued in conjunction with a street closing. A type "A" permit may be issued only in areas of the city zoned fo...
Decibel Limits
Des Moines caps outdoor sound at the receiving property's boundary: 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime in residential zones, 65 dBA in mixed-use/commercial zones and the flood district, and 75 dBA in industrial zones under Municipal Code § 42-254.
Des Moines Noise Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code § 42-254
no person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any sound which exceeds the following sound level limits at or within the real property boundary of a receiving land use: ... P1 and residential zones: ... 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 60 50 ... Mixed use and commercial zones: ... At all times 65 ... Industrial zones: ... At all times 75
Vehicle Noise
Des Moines caps car-stereo noise at 50 feet by day and 25 feet at night, and sets drive-by dBA limits by vehicle class and speed under Municipal Code § 42-259. Police and community development enforce citywide.
Des Moines Car Stereo and Muffler Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsDes Moines Municipal Code § 42-259(d)
No person operating or in control of a motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, watercraft, or vessel shall operate or permit the operation of a sound system in the vehicle so as to produce a vibration or sound that is clearly detectable at a distance of 50 feet from the vehicle between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or clearly detectable at a distance of 25 feet from the vehicle between the ...
Looking for Polk County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Des Moines city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Polk County →