10 rules for unincorporated Lorain County, Ohio.
Verified from official government sources
Ohio has no statewide numeric quiet-hours limit, so your city or township sets the rule. In Elyria, amplified sound plainly audible beyond 50 feet is prohibited from midnight to 8:00 a.m.; Lorain uses similar nighttime limits.
Elyria Codified Ordinances §509.08(c)(1)
Radios, television sets, musical instruments, and similar devices which produce, reproduce, or amplify sound in such a manner or which such volume as to annoy or disturb the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of persons where such a noise is plainly audible at a distance of more than fifty feet within the city from 12:00 p.m. midnight until 8:00 a.m.
In the City of Lorain, powered construction equipment such as pile drivers, hammers and rollers may not operate between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or on Sundays and holidays without a special permit. Elyria restricts construction tools between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Lorain Codified Ordinances §511.05
It shall be unlawful for any person to use any pile driver, shovel, hammer, derrick, hoist tractor, roller or other mechanical apparatus operated by fuel or electric power in building or construction operations between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or on Sundays and holidays except for emergency situations or by special permit issued by the Director.
Elyria bars keeping any bird or animal that, by frequent or long-continued noise, disturbs neighbors when the noise can be distinctly heard more than 50 feet from its source. Complaints go to your city police or the Lorain County Dog Warden.
Elyria Codified Ordinances §509.08(c)(2)
Animals and birds. Keeping any bird or animal which, by causing frequent or long continued noise, disturbs the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity, where such noise can be distinctly heard at a distance of more than fifty feet from its source.
In the City of Lorain, powered saws, lawn and garden tools, mowers and similar outdoor devices may not run between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., or before 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Elyria bars such tools between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Lorain Codified Ordinances §511.05(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or permit the operation of any mechanically powered saw, drill, sander, grinder, lawn or garden tool, lawnmower or other similar device used outdoors, other than powered snow removal equipment, outdoors between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. or on Saturday or Sunday before the hour of 9:00 a.m.
Elyria prohibits playing any radio, boom box, stereo or musical instrument at a volume that disturbs neighbors or is plainly audible to involuntary listeners. Lorain imposes escalating fines and device seizure for loud sound systems, including in vehicles.
Elyria Codified Ordinances §509.08(c)(1A)B.
No person shall play any radio, music player such as a "boom box", tape cassette, disc player, television, audio system, musical instrument or any other type of sound device in a manner or at a volume as to disturb the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of neighboring inhabitants or at a volume which is plainly audible to persons other than those who are in the room in which such device or instrum...
Neither Lorain County nor its cities set enforceable aircraft-noise limits. Aircraft operations and flight-noise standards are regulated by the FAA under federal law, which preempts local rules. Complaints go to the airport operator or the FAA, not city police.
The City of Lorain limits industrial noise: manufacturing-district operations may not exceed set octave-band decibel levels at the boundary of any residence, retail or commercial district, and no premises may be used in a boisterous way that substantially raises the neighborhood's ambient noise.
Lorain Codified Ordinances §511.04
No person owning, or in possession or control of any building or premises, shall use the same, permit the use of the same, or rent the same to be used for any business or employment or residential use or for any purpose of pleasure or recreation, if such use shall, by its boisterous nature substantially raise the ambient noise level of the neighborhood in which such building or premises is situ...
Ohio sets no statewide residential decibel cap. The City of Lorain uses measured decibel standards: heavy-vehicle idling may not exceed ambient by more than six decibels, and manufacturing districts have octave-band sound-pressure limits at their boundaries. Elyria relies on a 'plainly audible at 50 feet' test.
Lorain Codified Ordinances §511.10
In Manufacturing Zoning Districts, inclusive, at no point on the boundary of a Residence, Retail or Commercial Zoning District shall the sound pressure level of any individual operation or plant, or the combined operations of any person, firm or corporation, exceed the decibel levels in the designated octave bands shown below for the Zoning Districts indicated.
The City of Lorain bars performing any hand organ, musical instrument or device for pay in a public way or outdoor public place before 9:00 a.m. or after 11:00 p.m. Elyria requires a city permit for amplified sound at organized outdoor events.
Lorain Codified Ordinances §511.02
No person shall use or perform any hand organ or other musical instrument or device, for pay or in expectation of payment, in any public way or outdoors public place of the City before 9:00 a.m. or after 11:00 p.m. of any day.
In the City of Lorain, idling a motor vehicle over 8,000 pounds for more than two minutes between 9:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (or on Sundays/holidays) that raises neighborhood noise by more than six decibels is unlawful. Elyria bars racing engines and 'peeling.'
Lorain Codified Ordinances §511.06
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any motor of a motor vehicle of a weight in excess of four tons (8,000 pounds) for a consecutive period longer than two minutes which operation will raise the noise level above the ambient noise level of the neighborhood by more than six decibels, between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or on Sundays or holidays.
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