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Ashwaubenon, WI Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing section
Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 9-1-6
Nighttime limit
No noise audible past 100 ft, 10pm-7am
Daytime standard
No unreasonable or unnecessary noise
Covered sounds listed
Horns, engine exhaust, motor sound, tire squeal
Exemptions
Village construction, public works, emergencies only
First-offense penalty
$1-$5,000 forfeiture, up to 90 days jail

Summary

Ashwaubenon has no standalone car-alarm ordinance. A vehicle alarm falls under the Village's general noise rule, Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 9-1-6, which lists horns among the sounds it covers, bars any noise audible past 100 feet of its source between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and applies an unreasonable-or-unnecessary standard the rest of the day.

No person shall make or cause to be made any loud, disturbing or unnecessary sounds or noises which may annoy or disturb a person of ordinary sensibilities in or about any public street, alley or park or any private residence. ... This section shall apply to any sound which would include, but not limited to, squealing of tires, whistling, yelling, music, bells, horns, engine exhaust, engine motor sound, vehicle in need of repair, radios or loud speakers, construction or demolition, animal sounds, sporting events, including landscaping and lawn maintenance equipment within a residential zoning classification. ... No noise shall be made between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. that can be heard from a distance of 100 feet or outside the originating property line, whichever is least. During all other times, no noise that is unreasonable or unnecessary that tends to cause or provoke a disturbance may be made.

Full Breakdown

The Village of Ashwaubenon regulates a car alarm through its general noise ordinance rather than a separate alarm law. Section 9-1-6(A) prohibits any loud, disturbing or unnecessary sound that may annoy or disturb a person of ordinary sensibilities on a public street, alley, park or private residence. Subsection (C)(1) spells out that the section reaches horns, engine exhaust, engine motor sound and a vehicle in need of repair, alongside squealing tires and other listed sounds, so a repeatedly sounding car alarm sits squarely inside the ordinance's applicability clause.

no covered noise may be audible from 100 feet away or beyond the property line, whichever distance is shorter, and at all other hours the noise must not be unreasonable or unnecessary in a way that tends to cause or provoke a disturbance. Subsection (D)'s exemptions cover only Village construction sites, Village public works and utility operations, and declared emergencies; a private vehicle's own alarm is not on that list, so it gets no carve-out. This is a separate provision from Chapter 10's burglar-alarm permit article, whose § 10-1-24(C) states that section does not apply to audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles, exempting cars only from the permit and false-alarm billing system in that chapter, not from the Chapter 9 noise standard described here.

Violations & Fines

Violations run through the Village's general penalty section, Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 1-1-13. A first offense carries a forfeiture of not less than $1.00 nor more than $5,000.00 plus the costs of prosecution, with jail in the county jail of up to 90 days if the forfeiture and costs go unpaid. A second violation of the same ordinance within one year raises exposure to a forfeiture of $1.00 to $5,000.00 per offense with up to six months in jail for nonpayment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ashwaubenon have a specific car alarm ordinance?
No standalone ordinance exists. A car alarm falls under the general noise rule at Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 9-1-6, which lists horns among the sounds it covers and caps audible noise at 100 feet of the source between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with a general unreasonable-or-unnecessary standard the rest of the day.
Is a car alarm exempt from the Village's noise rules?
No. Section 9-1-6(D) exempts only Village construction sites, Village public works and utility operations, and declared emergencies. A private vehicle's alarm is not on that list, so it remains subject to the general prohibition and the nighttime 100-foot distance limit.
What penalty applies to a car alarm noise violation?
Under the Village's general penalty section, § 1-1-13, a first offense carries a forfeiture of $1.00 to $5,000.00 plus prosecution costs, with county jail up to 90 days if unpaid. A second violation within one year raises jail exposure to six months for nonpayment.
Does the burglar-alarm permit chapter cover a car's own alarm?
No. Chapter 10's alarm-permit article says in § 10-1-24(C) that the section does not apply to audible alarms affixed to motor vehicles, which exempts cars only from that chapter's permit and false-alarm-fee system, not from the separate Chapter 9 noise standard.

Sources & Official References

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