Noise Ordinances in Tempe, AZ (2026)
6 verified noise ordinances for Tempe, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Tempe bars outside construction and repair work outside set daily windows that shift by season and by proximity to residential zones. Concrete pours get the widest window; work near homes starts later. State law now overrides the local hours for permitted general construction between May and October.
Tempe Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 20-8(b)(2)
All other construction/residential zones in or within five hundred (500) feet. From April 15 to October 15 inclusive, all other construction or repair work shall not begin prior to 6:00 a.m. and must stop by 7:00 p.m. each day in or within five hundred (500) feet of a residential zone or at such other times pursuant to written authorization. From October 16 to April 14 inclusive, all other cons...
Barking Dogs
Tempe treats a dog's frequent or habitual howling, yelping or barking as a nuisance violation, but City Code § 21-3(b)(19) requires a signed petition from at least two witnesses in separate households before the City can act, unless other evidence already supports enforcement.
Tempe Barking Dog Nuisance Ordinance
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 21-3(b)(19)
The keeping or harboring of any dog or other animal that by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking, crowing or the making of other noises, annoys or disturbs a neighborhood or any number of persons; provided, that an action for a violation of this subsection shall not be initiated, unless a petition is received signed by at least two (2) witnesses in separate households with independent...
Leaf Blower Rules
Tempe restricts leaf blowers under general code § 13A-52 rather than banning them outright: you can't blow debris into a public roadway, can't run a blower on unstabilized dirt or gravel, and can't operate one at all during a high pollution advisory for particulate matter, all enforced by county and city dust-control inspectors.
Tempe Leaf Blower Use Restrictions
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 13A-52
(a)No person may use a leaf blower to blow leaves, grass cuttings, other landscape debris, trash, soil or dust into a public roadway.(b)No person may operate a leaf blower except on surfaces that have been stabilized.(c)No person may operate a leaf blower during any high pollution advisory day forecast for particulate matter.(d)These restrictions are subject to enforcement by the county under A...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Tempe requires a temporary permit from the Special Events Task Force before anyone runs a loudspeaker or sound-amplifying device in a residential zone on public property. Permits are barred outright between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and applications must go to the Special Events Office at least 10 days ahead.
Tempe Amplified Sound Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsTempe City Code § 20-7(a)(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than law enforcement personnel or government agencies acting within the scope of their employment, to install, use or operate within any residential zone of the City, a loudspeaker or sound-amplifying device or equipment in a fixed or movable position, on public property including any public right-of-way, without first obtaining a temporary permit from...
Aircraft Noise
Tempe's noise code exempts aircraft operated under federal law and FAA air traffic control instructions from every provision of Chapter 20. An aircraft in distress or under an emergency order is likewise exempt, leaving aircraft noise entirely to federal regulation.
Tempe Aircraft Noise Exemption
Few RestrictionsTempe City Code § 20-10
Any aircraft operated in conformity with, or pursuant to, federal law, federal air regulations and air traffic control instruction used pursuant to and within the duly adopted federal air regulations shall be exempt from the provisions of this section as well as the other regulations of this chapter.
Vehicle Noise
Tempe bars any vehicle sound system, from car stereos to musical instruments, that can be heard 50 feet outside the vehicle or that disturbs anyone nearby. A separate rule blocks late-night vehicle repair and testing noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential areas.
Tempe Vehicle Stereo Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 19-51(a)
Except as authorized by law, no person shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system in or on a vehicle which: (1)Can be heard outside the vehicle from fifty (50) or more feet; or (2)Annoys or disturbs the quiet, comfort or repose of any person in the vicinity; unless the system is being operated to request assistance of an emergency nature or to warn of a hazardous si...
Looking for Maricopa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tempe city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Maricopa County →