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Provo, UT Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Residential limit
55 dBA (10pm-7am), 65 dBA (7am-10pm)
Industrial limit
75 dBA at all hours
Mixed-boundary sites
most restrictive classification governs
Data center residential setback
only 200 feet (14.34A.050(3))
Noise violation penalty
class B misdemeanor, Sec. 9.06.070
Governing section
Provo City Code 14.34A.060(3)

Summary

Every data center in Provo's DC Overlay zone has to hold its cooling towers, generators, and transformers to the same citywide limits every other use follows: 55 dBA at a residential property line overnight and 65 dBA daytime, 75 dBA in industrial areas, on top of any tighter condition the underlying M1 or PIC zone imposes.

(1) International Building Code. The requirements of the International Building Code, as adopted by the Provo Municipal Council (the IBC), apply and must be met. ... (2) The operator of a use permitted in this Chapter must comply with all other license requirements of the City or any public agency related to the use. (3) Data centers must comply with the noise limits in Section 9.06.040, Provo City Code, and any requirements of the zone.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026).

Full Breakdown

, 75 dBA at all hours for industrial-classified property, and 65/70 dBA for all other areas, measured as continuous two-minute-interval noise or intermittent noise exceeding the cap five or more times in ten minutes. 050(3) only requires a 200-foot setback from residential property, schools, or parks, meaning a data center's mechanical plant can sit close enough to a home that the stricter residential limit governs. 06 table, plus whatever additional condition the M1 or PIC zone attaches.

Violations & Fines

A data center whose cooling equipment, generators, or transformers exceed the Section 9.06.040 limits at the property line commits a violation of Chapter 9.06, which Section 9.06.070 makes a class B misdemeanor, with each occurrence, or continuing occurrence, charged as a separate offense; the City can also seek injunctive nuisance abatement in court, independent of Development Services enforcing the Overlay's separate IBC and licensing conditions under Section 14.34A.060(1)-(2).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Data Center Overlay set a looser, industry-specific noise limit?
No. Section 14.34A.060(3) points data centers to the same Chapter 9.06 noise table every other use in Provo follows, plus whatever additional condition the M1 or PIC zone attaches; there is no separate, looser standard for data centers.
What decibel limit applies if a data center sits near homes?
55 dBA at the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and 65 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., per Section 9.06.040(1); if the site touches more than one land-use category, the most restrictive classification governs under 9.06.040(2).
What happens if a data center's generators or cooling units are too loud?
It's a violation of Chapter 9.06, which Section 9.06.070 classifies as a class B misdemeanor, with each occurrence, or day the violation continues, punished as a separate offense.
Are data centers subject to any noise-related rule besides the decibel table?
Yes. Section 14.34A.060(3) also requires compliance with 'any requirements of the zone,' meaning whatever additional condition the M1 or PIC base zone imposes, on top of the International Building Code and other agency licensing duties in 14.34A.060(1)-(2).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Provo

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All Provo rules

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