Noise Ordinances in Norman, OK (2026)
6 verified noise ordinances for Norman, Oklahoma, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Norman bans two or more people from talking, laughing, yelling, or singing loudly enough to violate district noise limits or cause a disturbance between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Construction, domestic power tools, and garbage collection share the same nighttime curfew in residential and commercial zones. The Police Department enforces it under NCC 16-208(b), with fines under NCC 16-211.
Norman Quiet Hours Run 9 PM to 7 AM
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) Sec. 16-208(b) [Groups or gatherings of people]
Groups or gatherings of people. Talking, laughing, yelling, singing, or otherwise making noise by two or more people between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day in such a manner as to violate NCC 16-205 or cause a noise disturbance.
Barking Dogs
Norman's noise ordinance makes it unlawful to own, keep, or harbor any animal whose frequent or habitual noisemaking causes a 'noise disturbance' or exceeds the district sound limits in NCC 16-205. The rule reaches every owner and covers commercial kennels and animal pounds. Fines run under the City's penalty schedule, and each day of barking is a separate offense.
Norman Bars Habitually Noisy Animals
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) Sec. 16-208(b) [Animals clause]
Animals. Owning, keeping, possessing, or harboring any animal which, by frequent or habitual noisemaking, violates NCC 16-205 or causes a noise disturbance. The provisions of this section shall apply to all private and public facilities, including any animal pounds, which hold or treat animals.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Norman bans running a loudspeaker, sound truck, or public-address system on any street, sidewalk, park, or public property unless a noise permit is obtained first from the Police Department. Radios, stereos, and musical instruments played from a vehicle are separately capped at whatever is 'plainly audible' 50 feet away. Both fall under NCC 16-208(b).
Norman Requires a Permit for Loudspeakers
Significant RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) Sec. 16-208(b)(2)-(3) [Radios/TVs; Public loudspeakers]
Radios, television sets, musical instruments, and similar devices. Using, operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum or other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sound, except, as provided for in subsection (b)(3) of this section, in such a manner as to violate NCC 16-205 or cause a noise disturba...
Aircraft Noise
Norman's noise ordinance does not reach aircraft operating under FAA authorization: NCC 16-209 lists 'aircraft under authorization by the Federal Aviation Administration,' alongside interstate trains, as exempt from the article's decibel limits and prohibited-noise list entirely. Complaints about flights over Norman, including University of Oklahoma flight training out of Max Westheimer Airport, fall outside City regulation.
Norman Exempts FAA-Authorized Aircraft Noise
Few RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) Sec. 16-209 [Exemptions]
The provisions of this article shall not apply to: ... An organized school sponsored sporting event; Public utilities under the authority of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission; Interstate railway locomotives and trains en route, and aircraft under authorization by the Federal Aviation Administration; Noise created or to be created as a result of a noise permit under NCC 16-210, such that a per...
Decibel Limits
NCC 16-205 caps stationary noise sources by land-use district and time of day: residential limits run as low as 50 dB(A) at night and 55 dB(A) by day at the L90 ambient level, rising to 65-70 dB(A) commercial and 65-80 dB(A) industrial, with a 5 dB(A) stricter limit for tonal or pulsing noise.
Norman Sets Decibel Limits by Zone
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) § 16-205
Maximum permissible sound levels. It shall be a violation of this article for any person to operate or permit to be operated any stationary source of sound which either: Creates a sound level greater than 15dB(A) above the ambient sound level (L90) within any land use district during any measurement period; or Creates a 90th percentile sound level (L90), a tenth percentile sound level (L10) or ...
Vehicle Noise
NCC 16-206 limits motor vehicle noise measured at 25 feet: 88 dB(A) for trucks rated 10,000 pounds GVWR or more, and 78 dB(A) for motorcycles and every other vehicle, and separately requires every vehicle to run a defect-free exhaust with a working muffler and no cut-out or bypass device.
Norman Caps Motor Vehicle Noise by Class
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) § 16-206
No person shall drive or move or cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles at any time in such a manner as to exceed the following noise limits for the category of motor vehicle shown below. The standard measurement height shall be five feet (1.5m) and the measurement distance no less than 25 feet (7.5m). The distance shall be measured from the n...