Denver, CO Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max single activation
- 15 minutes
- Max weekly triggers
- 2 (3rd is a violation)
- Permit required
- Alarm user permit, § 42-106
- Code chapter
- Ch. 36, Noise Control
Summary
Denver treats a car alarm audible outside the vehicle as an unlawful nuisance if it runs past fifteen minutes or trips three or more times in a week without a valid alarm permit.
It is an unlawful nuisance for any alarm that is audible outside the premises or vehicle in which it is installed or that it is intended to protect and for which there is not a valid alarm user permit issued pursuant to section 42-106 of this Code, to be activated: a) for a period exceeding fifteen (15) minutes; or b) three (3) or more times within a seven (7) day period when no emergency is found to exist by the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Under the noise chapter, any alarm audible outside the vehicle it protects is an unlawful nuisance unless the owner holds a valid alarm user permit under section 42-106. Even with the alarm sounding, it's unlawful to let it run more than fifteen minutes at a stretch, or to let it trigger three or more times in any seven-day period without an emergency the city confirms. Each threshold is a separate offense, so a car that sets off its alarm repeatedly in one week can rack up multiple violations. Permitted alarms fall instead under Chapter 42's alarm-permit enforcement.
Violations & Fines
Each 15-plus-minute activation and each instance beyond two triggers in seven days counts as a separate offense; unpermitted alarms are cited as unlawful nuisances under the noise code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal for a car alarm to go off in Denver?
Does a permit exempt a car alarm from these limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denver
Compare Denver to another location·View the Colorado noise from specific sources overview
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