Summer Noise Ordinance Quiet Hours by City (2026)

When Do Noise Restrictions Start?

559 locations9 strict6 restrictive479 moderate53 limited12 permissive

Find the rules for your area:

Compare quiet hours and noise curfews across U.S. cities. Find out when loud music, lawn mowing, and parties must stop in your area.

The table below breaks down the rules across 49 states and 559 cities and counties. Every entry is based on the actual municipal code for that location, not a guess or a generic template. Click any location to see the full ordinance details, including fines, exceptions, and local FAQs.

Rules by State

Each state is colored by how its local rules lean overall. Click a state to see the cities and counties we cover there.

State	Locations	strict	restrictive	moderate	limited	permissive	Overall
California	154	1	5	142	6	-	Some Restrictions
Texas	94	-	1	37	46	10	Light Restrictions
Florida	79	-	-	79	-	-	Some Restrictions
Washington	42	-	-	40	2	-	Some Restrictions
North Carolina	35	1	-	34	-	-	Some Restrictions
Illinois	34	1	-	32	-	1	Some Restrictions
Georgia	33	-	-	32	1	-	Some Restrictions
New Jersey	32	1	-	31	-	-	Some Restrictions
Michigan	26	-	-	26	-	-	Some Restrictions
Massachusetts	25	3	-	21	-	1	Some Restrictions
New York	25	-	-	25	-	-	Some Restrictions
Ohio	23	-	-	23	-	-	Some Restrictions
Virginia	23	-	-	23	-	-	Some Restrictions
Colorado	21	-	-	21	-	-	Some Restrictions
Wisconsin	21	-	-	19	2	-	Some Restrictions
Arizona	20	-	1	18	1	-	Some Restrictions
South Carolina	20	-	1	18	1	-	Some Restrictions
Pennsylvania	17	1	-	15	1	-	Some Restrictions
Connecticut	16	-	-	16	-	-	Some Restrictions
Missouri	15	-	-	15	-	-	Some Restrictions
Oregon	15	-	-	14	1	-	Some Restrictions
Indiana	14	-	-	14	-	-	Some Restrictions
Louisiana	14	-	-	14	-	-	Some Restrictions
Minnesota	13	-	-	12	1	-	Some Restrictions
Tennessee	13	-	-	12	1	-	Some Restrictions
Maryland	11	-	-	11	-	-	Some Restrictions
Utah	10	-	-	10	-	-	Some Restrictions
Alabama	9	-	-	9	-	-	Some Restrictions
Iowa	9	1	-	8	-	-	Some Restrictions
Kansas	9	-	-	9	-	-	Some Restrictions
Idaho	8	-	-	8	-	-	Some Restrictions
Nevada	7	-	-	7	-	-	Some Restrictions
Arkansas	6	-	-	6	-	-	Some Restrictions
Oklahoma	6	-	-	6	-	-	Some Restrictions
New Mexico	5	-	-	5	-	-	Some Restrictions
Nebraska	4	-	-	4	-	-	Some Restrictions
Delaware	3	-	-	3	-	-	Some Restrictions
Kentucky	3	-	-	2	1	-	Some Restrictions
Mississippi	3	-	-	3	-	-	Some Restrictions
New Hampshire	3	-	-	3	-	-	Some Restrictions
Rhode Island	3	-	-	3	-	-	Some Restrictions
Alaska	2	-	-	2	-	-	Some Restrictions
Hawaii	2	-	-	2	-	-	Some Restrictions
Montana	2	-	-	2	-	-	Some Restrictions
North Dakota	2	-	-	2	-	-	Some Restrictions
West Virginia	2	-	-	2	-	-	Some Restrictions
District of Columbia	1	-	-	1	-	-	Some Restrictions
Maine	1	-	-	1	-	-	Some Restrictions
South Dakota	1	-	-	1	-	-	Some Restrictions

How Cities Compare

These rankings are based on verified municipal code data, not opinion. A "strict" rating means the city has heavy restrictions, high fines, or outright bans. "Permissive" means few or no local restrictions beyond state law.

Most Restrictive

1
Orange County, NC11 p.m., midnight weekends
Orange County's unincorporated noise ordinance caps residential sound at 55 dBA daytime and 50 dBA at night. Chapel Hill's own code is stricter at 50/45 dBA, backed by an aggressive student-party enforcement regime near UNC.
2
Somerville, MA11:00 PM to 7:00 AM
Somerville enforces nighttime quiet hours under its noise control ordinance, restricting loud sounds audible at property lines during late-night and early-morning periods across this densely populated Boston-metro city.
3
Des Plaines, IL10:00 P.M. - 7:00 A.M.
Des Plaines City Code 6-2-7(E)(3) sets quiet hours from 10:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. on weeknights, and from 11:00 P.M. to 10:00 A.M. before Saturdays, Sundays, and official city holidays. During quiet hours, sound crossing a lot line above 50 dBA (or 40 dBA inside another structure) is excessive noise.
4
Johnson County, IA10 PM to 7 AM typical
Iowa City enforces its noise ordinance and a well-known disorderly house rule aimed at loud student rentals near campus. Overnight noise disturbances draw police citations, and repeat nuisance parties carry civil penalties of $750 or more.
5
Allentown, PA
Allentown does not use a single blanket curfew; instead Article 710 (Chapter 400, Noise Control) sets maximum permissible dBA sound levels by receiving land use, with sharply lower limits between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M. Residential zones drop to 52 dBA at night, and exceeding the table is a noise disturbance.
6
Brookline, MA
Brookline regulates noise under General By-Laws Article 8.15 (Noise Control). The bylaw prohibits Noise Pollution, defined as sound exceeding the Background Noise Level. Nighttime fixed-equipment operation must not exceed daytime background levels minus 10 dBA.
7
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Chapter 204, Section 204-3 sets district-based dBA limits keyed to time of day. In single- and two-family residential districts the limit drops to 40 dB(A) from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (45 dB(A) in the 6 PM-10 PM evening band, 50 dB(A) daytime).
8
Bishop, CA
Bishop makes it unlawful to make or continue any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that injures or endangers the health, peace or safety of others. Construction and repair are expressly allowed only after 7:00 a.m. and before 10:00 p.m., so nighttime is the city's protected quiet window.
9
Atlantic County, NJ
New Jersey's state noise code, N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2, caps nighttime sound at 50 dBA at any residential property line from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Every Atlantic County municipality enforces this floor and shore towns set stricter local hours.

Fewest Restrictions

1
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County, MA does not have a county-level noise ordinance. Massachusetts counties have extremely limited regulatory authority; noise rules are set by each individual city or town. Residents must follow their municipality's ordinance.
2
Fort Bend County, TXNone set
Fort Bend County has NO quiet-hours ordinance in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack the police power to enact one (Local Gov't Code Ch. 233). Enforcement falls back to Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5) disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise. Cities inside the county (Sugar Land, Missouri City) DO have their own rules.
3
Tarrant County, TXUp to $500 (Class C)
Tarrant County has no county noise ordinance for unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack zoning authority and cannot enact noise regulations. Noise complaints are handled under Texas Penal Code §42.01 (Disorderly Conduct) by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
4
Hidalgo County, TXNone countywide
Hidalgo County has no general noise ordinance and no fixed quiet hours for its unincorporated Rio Grande Valley areas. Under Texas law counties cannot set countywide dBA curfews, so late-night noise outside city limits is handled by the state disorderly-conduct statute, not a county curfew.
5
Winnebago County, ILNone set countywide
Winnebago County has no county-wide noise ordinance with fixed quiet hours for unincorporated areas. State law (720 ILCS 5/26-1 disorderly conduct) and Illinois Environmental Protection Act noise rules (35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 900) apply. Rockford and other cities set their own quiet-hour windows.
6
Bexar County, TX
Bexar County has NO noise ordinance. Texas counties lack the police power to enact one. Unincorporated noise complaints fall back to Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5) disorderly conduct, which requires noise over 85 dB after a peace-officer warning. The Bexar County Sheriff handles calls; Code Compliance does not enforce sound.
7
Denton County, TXUp to $500 (Class C)
Denton County has no county noise ordinance or designated quiet hours for unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack general zoning and noise-regulation authority under state law. Noise complaints are handled solely under Texas Penal Code 42.01 (Disorderly Conduct) by the Denton County Sheriff.
8
Collin County, TXUp to 500 dollars
Unincorporated Collin County has no numeric quiet hours or decibel ordinance. TX Penal Code 42.01(a)(5) disorderly conduct applies to unreasonable noise between 10 PM and 7 AM, enforced by Collin County Sheriff. Most residents live within Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, or Richardson city limits where municipal noise codes apply.
9
Amarillo, TX
Amarillo does not have a city noise ordinance. The city relies on the Texas Penal Code, which treats unreasonable noise as disorderly conduct. Noise is presumed unreasonable if it exceeds 85 decibels after a peace officer has given notice that the noise is a public nuisance.
10
Conroe, TX$2,000
Conroe Code Chapter 26 prohibits unreasonable noise that disturbs neighbors. No specific decibel limits are codified, but nuisance noise is enforceable as a public nuisance under Sec. 26-33.

All 559 Locations

Every city and county below has verified ordinance data for this topic. Click any location for the full breakdown including fines, exceptions, and local FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions come from the most common things people ask about this topic across different cities.

What are quiet hours in Fullerton?

Residential nighttime quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., when exterior noise must stay at or below 50 dB(A) and interior noise at or below 45 dB(A). Daytime limits (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) are 55 dB(A) for both interior and exterior.

Do schools and hospitals get extra noise protection?

Yes. FMC § 15.90.030(B) extends the residential noise limits to any 'sensitive use' (school, hospital, elderly care facility, or religious institution) while in operation, even if the facility sits in a commercial or industrial zone.

How is noise measured?

Per FMC § 15.90.060, exterior readings are taken anywhere on the complainant's property using an ANSI S1.4-1971 Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meter set to A-weighting, slow response. Interior readings are taken at least four feet from any wall, ceiling, or floor closest to the source.

Is there a set quiet-hours curfew in High Point?

The ordinance highlights 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. as the key window, but any radio or stereo audible 30 feet or more from your property line can violate § 12-1-10(b)(2) at any hour.

What's the penalty for a loud stereo complaint?

$200 for a first civil citation, $400 for a second within a year, and $500 for later violations.

What counts as a quiet-hours violation in Sioux Falls?

Running a radio, TV, or similar device between 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. so it's plainly audible at your property line (or 50-100 feet if in a vehicle).

Do decibel limits change at night?

Yes: residential limits drop from 60 to 55 dB(A) and noise-sensitive zones from 60 to 50 dB(A) between 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Does Dearborn's nighttime noise rule require a decibel meter reading?

No. Section 13-45(1) turns on whether a radio, TV or musical instrument produces sound that creates a 'noise disturbance' across a residential or commercial property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. That is a subjective, complaint-driven standard, distinct from the numeric dB(A) table in § 13-44 that governs steady industrial and commercial sources.