Noise Ordinances in Jefferson Parish, LA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Jefferson Parish's noise ordinance (Sec. 20-102) governs the unincorporated parish, including Metairie. It caps sound in residential areas near 60 dBA in daytime and 55 dBA at night (10 p.m.–6:59 a.m.), measured at the property line.
Jefferson Parish Quiet Hours and Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Sec. 20-102(f)(1)
No person shall operate or cause to be operated any source from any location … in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth in Table 1 for the receiving land use category … when measured at or beyond the property boundary … from which the sound emanates.
Construction Hours
Jefferson Parish bars construction equipment noise within 300 feet of any residential or noise-sensitive area between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Sundays and holidays. Emergency work is exempt, but the contractor must report it to the department of building permits before or promptly after the work begins.
Construction Noise Hours in Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(h)(6)
Construction and demolition. The operating of any equipment used in construction work within three hundred (300) feet of any residential or noise-sensitive area between the hours of 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Sundays and holidays, except for emergency work. The construction firm shall report any use of construction equipment for emergency work...
Barking Dogs
Jefferson Parish's noise code defines a "barking dog" at Sec. 20-102(h)(5): a dog that barks, bays, cries or howls continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for a half hour, disturbing any person day or night. The rule applies across the unincorporated parish, including Metairie and Terrytown, and the Sheriff's Office handles enforcement. A trespasser on the property at the time defeats the complaint.
Barking Dog Noise Rules in Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(h)(5)
Animals. The owning, possessing, or harboring of any animal which frequently, or for continued duration, howls, barks, squawks, or makes other sounds which create excessive and unnecessary noise across a residential or commercial real property line or within a noise sensitive area. For the purpose of this section, "barking dog" shall mean a dog that barks, bays, cries, howls or makes any other ...
Leaf Blower Rules
Run your leaf blower or lawn mower in Jefferson Parish between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, or 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Sundays and holidays, and the noise ordinance leaves you alone as long as the equipment has a muffler. Outside those hours, the same equipment has to meet the parish's regular decibel limits like any other noise source.
Leaf Blower and Power Tool Hours in Jefferson Parish
Light RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(g)(1)
(g)Exemptions. The following are exempt from sound level limits of Table 1:(1)Domestic power tools, lawn movers and agricultural equipment, when operated with a muffler, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Jefferson Parish bans running a loudspeaker or sound amplifier near residential or noise-sensitive areas between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays, if the sound crosses the property line where it originates. Permitted public performances, gatherings, and parades are exempt, and the Sheriff's Office enforces the rule alongside the parish's broader decibel table.
Loudspeaker and Sound Amplifier Rules in Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code § 20-102(h)(3)
Loudspeakers and sound amplifiers. The using or operating of any loudspeaker, loudspeaker system, sound amplifier or other similar device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, and 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays, within or adjacent to residential or noise sensitive areas such that the sound therefrom is plainly audible across the real property line of the...
Decibel Limits
Jefferson Parish caps sound at the property line by zone and time of day under Sec. 20-102(f) and Table 1: 60 dB(A) by day and 55 dB(A) overnight for residential and public-space areas, 50/45 dB(A) for multifamily buildings, 65/60 dB(A) for commercial zones, and a flat 75 dB(A) for industrial land at all hours. No source may exceed those caps by more than 15 dB(A) under any circumstance.
Jefferson Parish Maximum Noise Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(f), Table 1
(f)Maximum permissible sound limits...(2)For any source of sound, the sound level shall not exceed the maximum permissible sound level limit set forth in Table 1 by fifteen (15) dB(A) for all land use categories. Table 1. Maximum Permissible Sound Levels By Receiving Land Use Category: Residential, noise-sensitive area, public space 7:00 a.m.—9:59 p.m. 60; 10:00 p.m.—6:59 a.m. 55. Multifamily d...
Vehicle Noise
Jefferson Parish requires every motor vehicle and motorcycle to run a working muffler in constant operation, and bars removing or disabling one except for repair. Radios, stereos and similar devices playing from a vehicle on a public right-of-way or in a public space cannot be audible from 50 feet away, with escalating fines of $50, $100 then $250 per offense.
Jefferson Parish Vehicle Muffler and Stereo Noise Law
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(i)
Motor vehicles. No person shall operate or cause to be operated any motor vehicle, or motorcycle not equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation. No person shall remove or render inoperative or cause to be removed or rendered inoperative, any muffler or sound-dissipative device on a motor vehicle or motorcycle other than for the purpose of maintenance, repair or repl...
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