Lafayette, LA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)

Section 34-369(6) treats alarm systems as a restricted-use noise source distinct from the general decibel framework, expressly stating that Table I's sound level limits in § 34-366 'do not apply' to alarms: the compliance question is purely how long the alarm keeps sounding, not how loud it is. Any exterior burglar or fire alarm, whether mounted on a building or a motor vehicle, must be wired or set to shut itself off within five minutes of activation if it emits sound continuously, or within ten minutes if it emits sound intermittently (a pulsing or cycling pattern).

A car alarm that blares uninterrupted in a parking lot for eight minutes, or one that cycles on and off for twelve, is a violation under this subsection regardless of how quiet or loud the siren measures against Table I. Because the standard is a duration test rather than a decibel test, a noise control officer or any law enforcement officer with jurisdiction under § 34-365 can substantiate a violation by timing the alarm rather than taking a meter reading, and the owner of the vehicle or building is the responsible party for ensuring the alarm's cutoff timer is functioning.