Noise Ordinances in Fargo, ND (2026)
6 verified noise ordinances for Fargo, North Dakota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Fargo bans specific loud noises overnight in residential zones and downtown, with tighter hours on weekend nights.
Fargo Nighttime Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsFargo Municipal Code § 11-0203(F)
Within the Downtown Business District and all residential zoning districts, the following noises between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Sunday evening through Friday morning and 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Friday evening through Sunday morning are specifically prohibited: 1.Radios, tape players or other sound amplifiers, whether portable or installed in vehicles, at a level which can be hea...
Construction Hours
Fargo's noise ordinance sets nighttime quiet hours citywide, but construction and maintenance work at the job site is expressly carved out and exempt from those limits.
Fargo Exempts Construction Noise From Curfew
Few RestrictionsFargo Municipal Code § 11-0207(D)
The following uses and activities shall be exempt from noise level regulations: ... D. Any construction or maintenance activities at the construction or maintenance site.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Fargo requires a police-issued permit before using sound amplifying equipment outdoors, bars permits entirely in residential zoning districts, and caps decibel levels by zoning district and time of day.
Fargo Outdoor Amplified Sound Permit
Significant RestrictionsFargo Municipal Code § 11-0209
No person shall use or maintain any sound amplifying equipment outdoors without first having obtained a permit. ... The only sound permitted shall be music or human speech or both. No permits shall be issued for any property located within a residential zoning district. For the purpose of this section the Downtown Mixed-Use Zoning District is not considered residential.
Aircraft Noise
Fargo Municipal Code § 11-0206 makes it unlawful to operate any aircraft, including helicopters, over the city producing noise above 88 dB(A), though flights conducted under FAA rules are exempt.
Fargo Caps Aircraft Noise at 88 dB
Some RestrictionsFargo Municipal Code § 11-0206 (exemption at § 11-0207(F))
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any type of aircraft over the city which produces noise levels exceeding 88 dB(A) within the city. Source: 2017 (1981). 11-0207. - Exemptions. The following uses and activities shall be exempt from noise level regulations: A.Noises of safety signals, warning devices, and emergency relief valves.B.Noises resulting f...
Decibel Limits
Fargo caps noise crossing from one property into another at set decibel levels by zoning district, with lower limits overnight. Municode Section 11-0204's Table 1 sets 55-80 dB(A) daytime and 50-75 dB(A) overnight, enforced with a per-violation fee.
Fargo Noise Decibel Limits by Zone
Some RestrictionsFargo Municipal Code § 11-0204
It shall be unlawful to project a sound or noise excluding noise emanating from a moving motor vehicle from one property into another, within the boundary of a use district which exceeds the limiting noise criteria set forth in Table 1 below, except as permitted under section 11-0208 and 11-0209. A.Sound or noise projecting from one use district, into another use district with a different no...
Vehicle Noise
Fargo bans loud exhaust cutouts and caps motor-vehicle noise at 80-92 dB(A), with compression ("jake") brakes on semi-tractors flatly prohibited and car-stereo bass audible past 10 feet banned during night hours.
Fargo Vehicle Noise and Muffler Rules
Some RestrictionsFargo Municipal Code § 11-0205
It shall be unlawful to operate a motorized vehicle within the city limits which creates a noise or sound which exceeds the noise level limits set out in Table 2, as follows: TABLE 2. LIMITING NOISE LEVELS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES A.Trucks, buses, construction equipment, or any motor vehicle with a gross weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more: Maximum allowable limit: 88 dB(A) measured at or co...
Looking for Cass County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fargo city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Cass County →