Noise Ordinances in Doña Ana County, NM (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Doña Ana County bans any unreasonably loud noise between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weeknights (midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends) that disturbs a neighbor's peace, comfort or sleep. Under Code § 261-11, noise audible at the property line during those nighttime hours is presumed a violation.
Doña Ana County Nighttime Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 261-11(A)-(B)
NIGHTTIME: From 10:00 p.m. (2200 hours) to 6:00 a.m. (0600 hours)(Sunday night/Monday morning through Thursday night/Friday morning) and from 12:00 a.m. (2400 hours) through 6:00 a.m. (0600 hours) Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning). ... § 261-11. Prohibited noise. A. Regardless of any other section of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person during nightti...
Construction Hours
Doña Ana County bars nighttime construction, repair, demolition or excavation and grading work that disturbs neighbors or exceeds the noise ordinance's decibel table. Nighttime runs 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on weeknights, with a later start on weekends and holidays, in the unincorporated county.
Doña Ana County Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 261-22
§ 261-22. Construction, repair, demolition or excavation and grading work. At nighttime, except for emergency work as defined in this article, construction, repair, demolition or excavation and grading work to commercial or residential buildings, roadways, utility facilities or infrastructure, which work disturbs the comfort or repose of any person(s) or generates noise exceeding the Table 1 li...
Barking Dogs
Doña Ana County bans letting a dog or other animal persistently or continuously bark, howl or make species-typical noise that disturbs the peace of anyone in the county. Code § 261-17 defines 'persistently or continuously' as animal noise heard in each of 10 one-minute intervals across a ten-minute period.
Doña Ana County Barking Dog Noise Rule
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 261-17
PERSISTENTLY OR CONTINUOUSLY: A ten-minute period during which animal noise is discerned in each of the 10 one-minute intervals therein. ... § 261-17. Animals. No person shall allow an animal in the person's possession or control to persistently or continuously bark, howl or make noise common to its species, or otherwise to disturb the peace and quiet of any person(s) in the County, or otherwis...
Leaf Blower Rules
Doña Ana County bars running leaf blowers, power mowers, rototillers and similar outdoor power equipment at nighttime if the noise exceeds the Code § 261-11 decibel table on neighboring property. There is no separate leaf-blower-only curfew; the limit is the same nighttime table used for construction and HVAC noise.
Doña Ana County Leaf Blower Noise Rule
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 261-21(B)
§ 261-21. Machinery, equipment, fans, and air conditioners. B. At nighttime, except for emergency work as defined in this article, no person shall operate or allow to be operated outdoors any power equipment, including but not limited to sweepers, power mowers, leaf blowers, rototillers, power saws or other power equipment used to sweep parking areas or other surfaces or perform gardening, prop...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Doña Ana County bars nighttime live music, radios, stereos or other sound amplifying equipment from exceeding the Code § 261-11 decibel limits on neighboring noise-sensitive property. An outdoor speaker or loudspeaker violating the rule twice within 24 months must be permanently removed from that location under § 261-14(D).
Doña Ana County Amplified Music Rules
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 261-14(A), (B), (D)
§ 261-14. Sound amplifying equipment. A. No person during nighttime shall practice, play, or conduct live music activities using sound amplifying equipment or operate a radio, television, stereo or other sound amplifying equipment resulting in sound levels exceeding the level set in § 261-11 when measured on any receiving noise-sensitive property or, if an apartment, within any dwelling unit or...
Decibel Limits
Doña Ana County caps nighttime sound at 50 dB(A) on residential and noise-sensitive property, 60 dB(A) on office/commercial property, and 70 dB(A) on industrial property, measured on the receiving property with an A-weighted sound-level meter under Code § 261-11(C). Sound crossing onto a stricter zone must meet that zone's lower limit.
Doña Ana County Noise Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 261-11(C)
§ 261-10. ... any decibel (dB) measurement made pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be based on the reference sound pressure and measured with a sound-level meter using the A-weighting network. ... § 261-11.C. General noise limits. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this article, no person during nighttime shall make or continue, cause to be made or continued, or allow to be made ...
Vehicle Noise
Doña Ana County bans unmuffled engine retarders and straight pipes on public roadways at any time in residential areas, and separately makes nighttime use of a defective or bypassed muffler a violation whenever it disturbs the peace, under Code §§ 261-4 and 261-19. New vehicles get a ninety-day compliance grace period.
Doña Ana County Muffler and Engine-Brake Rules
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code §§ 261-4, 261-19
§ 261-4. Prohibition. No person operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway shall use an unmuffled retarder device or unmuffled straight pipes where posted, or at any time within a residential area whether posted or not. ... § 261-19. Motor vehicles. A. The nighttime use of defective mufflers and other exhaust devices that effectively bypass mufflers while any automobile, truck or motorcycle ...
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