Noise from Specific Sources in Evanston, IL (2026)
4 verified noise from specific sources rules for Evanston, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Evanston caps noise from mechanical equipment, including HVAC systems, at 55 dBA measured at the property line. Section 313.1, added to the 2021 International Mechanical Code by Evanston City Code Section 4-7-2, averages that limit over any 15-minute period and exempts only emergency back-up generators from the standard.
Evanston HVAC Equipment Noise Limit
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 4-7-2 (2021 International Mechanical Code § 313.1)
Section 313 Noise Limitations 313.1 Noise Limitations: Noise levels for equipment and appliances shall not exceed 55 dBA SPL (Decibels, A-weighted, Sound Pressure Level) as averaged over any 15 minute period, and as measured at the property line between the said adjacent structures if a property line separates the parcels. Exception: Emergency Back-Up Generators.
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Bars, clubs, and other venues in Evanston cannot run loudspeakers or amplifiers loud enough to carry onto a public way within 150 feet of residential property.
Evanston Bar Speaker Noise Near Homes
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 9-5-20(F)(2)
Location Within One Hundred Fifty Feet of Residentially Zoned Property: The operating of, or permitting to be operated, any receiving set, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifier, paging system or other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sounds in such a manner that distinct and loudly audible noises are emitted upon or proximate to a public way, which public way is within...
Car Alarm Limits
Evanston requires any vehicle burglar alarm to shut itself off within four minutes of activation and prevents it from re-triggering without being manually reset, under City Code Section 9-5-20(A)(4)(a). An alarm that runs longer, or that re-arms itself automatically, is treated as prohibited noise, and police can tow the offending vehicle to the City pound and bill the registered owner for the cost.
Evanston Car Alarm Auto-Reset Rule
Light RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 9-5-20(A)4.a
4.Vehicular Noise:a.Motor Vehicle Alarms: The use of a continuous, audible signal device which acts as a vehicle burglar alarm, when such device is not limited in operation to four (4) minutes after activation, and is capable of further activation without being reset to become active again. ... c.Police Authority to Abate: In addition to the general penalty provided in Section 1-4-1 of this Cod...
Delivery Truck Noise
Evanston makes loud, excessive noise from loading or unloading vehicles, or from opening and breaking down boxes and crates, unlawful unless the person takes reasonable care to limit and confine the sound.
Evanston Delivery Loading Noise Rule
Light RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 9-5-20(A)3
The creation within the City of loud and excessive noise in connection with loading or unloading of any vehicle, or the opening or destruction of bales, boxes, crates, containers, or the like, without exercising reasonable care to limit such noise and to confine the same.
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Evanston city rules.
Noise from Specific Sources in Cook County →