Noise Ordinances in Portland, OR (2026)
8 verified noise ordinances for Portland, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Portland bars running sound equipment between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it's plainly audible inside a neighboring dwelling, and separately cuts citywide ambient noise limits by 5 dBA overnight, backed by civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation.
Portland Nighttime Noise Curfew Rules
Some RestrictionsPortland City Code § 18.12.020.B
Sound producing or reproducing equipment. Operating or permitting the use or operation of any device designed for sound production or reproduction in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance; or operating or permitting the operating or use of any such device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so as to be plainly audible within any dwelling unit that is not the source of sound...
Construction Hours
Commercial construction equipment may run up to 85 dBA from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays. From 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, all day Sunday, and on legal holidays, only the lower general noise limits apply, barring loud construction work without a variance.
Portland Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsPortland City Code § 18.10.060
A. Maximum sound levels: No person may operate any equipment or appurtenances in commercial construction activities that exceeds 85 dBA, when measured at 50 feet (15.2 meters) from the source. This standard does not apply to trucks (see Section 18.10.020), pile drivers, pavement breakers, scrapers, concrete saws and rock drills. B. Night, weekend, and legal holidays limitation: From 6:00 p.m...
Barking Dogs
Portland bans animal noise that unreasonably disturbs neighbors: barking, whining, or howling must run continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for 30 minutes to count as a violation.
Portland Barking Dog Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsPortland City Code § 18.12.020 A.1
It is a violation for any animal to unreasonably cause annoyance, alarm, noise disturbance at any time of the day or night by repetitive barking, whining, screeching, howling, braying or other like sounds that may be heard beyond the boundary of the owner's property or keeper's property under conditions wherein the animal sounds are shown to have occurred either as an episode of continuous nois...
Leaf Blower Rules
Portland bars gasoline leaf blowers citywide from January through September starting in 2026, expanding to a year-round ban in 2028; electric blowers stay legal under City Code Chapter 17.101.
Portland Gas Leaf Blower Ban
Significant RestrictionsPortland City Code § 17.101.040
Effective January 1, 2026, no owner may allow the operation of a gasoline leaf blower on the owner's property from January 1 to September 30, except in cases of inclement weather as determined by the City Administrator. Effective January 1, 2028, no owner may allow the operation of a gasoline leaf blower on the owner's property.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Amplified outdoor music in Portland must stay within Title 18's zone-based decibel limits: only non-amplified sound from athletic and entertainment events is exempt.
Portland Outdoor Amplified Music Limits
Some RestrictionsPortland City Code § 18.14.010 C
18.14.010 Exemptions. The following sounds are exempted from the provisions of this Title. A. Sounds caused by the performance of emergency work, or by the ordinary and accepted use of emergency apparatus and equipment. B. Sounds caused by sources regulated as to sound production by federal law. C. Sounds not electronically amplified, created by athletic and entertainment events other ...
Aircraft Noise
Homes within PDX's 65 and 68 DNL noise contours must meet a 45 dBA interior noise standard, sign a recorded noise disclosure statement, and grant the Port of Portland a noise easement before building permits issue.
Portland Airport Noise Impact Zone Rules
Significant RestrictionsPortland City Code § 33.470.040.C
New dwelling units allowed by this chapter within the 65 and 68 DNL contours must be constructed with sound insulation or other means to achieve a day/night average interior noise level of 45 dBA. Reconstructed dwelling units where the total cost of improvements is 75 percent or more of the total assessed improvement value of the site must also meet this standard. Garages and similar accessory ...
Decibel Limits
Portland caps industrial-zoned noise sources at 65-75 dBA measured at the property line, with the exact ceiling depending on the zoning of the receiving property, plus a five dBA cut during night hours.
Portland Industrial Noise Standards
Some RestrictionsPortland City Code § 18.10.010
no person shall cause or permit sound to intrude into the property of another person which exceeds the limits set forth below in this Section. For purposes of this Section, "day hours" shall be between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and "night hours" shall be between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Vehicle Noise
Portland requires every motor vehicle on public roads to run a working muffler, bans exhaust cutouts and screeching tires, and prohibits engine/compression brakes near homes for trucks over 10,000 pounds.
Portland Muffler and Vehicle Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsPortland City Code § 18.10.020
No person may drive a motor vehicle on a public highway unless it is equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise. B. No person may operate, and no owner of any motor vehicle may permit to be operated upon any public road, street, or highway, any motor vehicle so as to cause any greater noise or sound than is reasonably necessar...
Looking for Multnomah County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Portland city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Multnomah County →