El Paso, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted window
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Duration cap
- 1 hour or less per delivery
- Goods allowed
- Food, drinks, supplies, ice only
- Sound cap
- 65 dB(A) at nearest residence
Summary
Late-night deliveries get a narrow exemption from El Paso's noise rules. City Code § 9.40.020(A)(14) allows 10:00 p.m.-to-5:00 a.m. deliveries only if they last one hour or less, carry only food, nonalcoholic drinks, food-service supplies or ice, and stay under 65 dB(A) at the nearest residence.
14. Establishments that accept delivery of supplies or other items, provided that if the delivery occurs between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., then: a. The delivery lasts for one hour or less; b. The delivery is only for food, nonalcoholic beverages, food service supplies, or ice; and c. The delivery sound level when measured from the residential property closest in proximity to the establishment does not exceed sixty-five dB(A), excluding traffic and other background noise that can be reasonably excluded.
Full Breakdown
,' three conditions all apply, the delivery lasts one hour or less; it is limited to food, nonalcoholic beverages, food-service supplies, or ice; and the delivery sound level, measured from the residential property closest to the establishment, must not exceed sixty-five dB(A), excluding traffic and other background noise that can reasonably be excluded. window, deliveries aren't restricted by this provision at all, the timing-and-decibel package only kicks in for the overnight period. 020(B), which asks whether the sound unreasonably disturbs a neighbor's sleep, peace, comfort or repose, a fact-specific test rather than a fixed number.
This makes the 65 dB(A) cap the narrowest, most objective test in the whole applicability section, giving restaurants and grocers a predictable overnight receiving window while still protecting adjacent residences from truck idling, dock-plate noise and pallet-jack clatter beyond that measured threshold.
Violations & Fines
An overnight delivery exceeding one hour, carrying goods other than food, nonalcoholic beverages, food-service supplies, or ice, or measuring above 65 dB(A) at the nearest residential property loses the exemption and is enforceable as a noise nuisance under § 9.40.020(B), independent of any other permit the business holds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a restaurant get deliveries at 2 a.m. in El Paso?
What decibel level applies to overnight deliveries?
What if a delivery takes longer than an hour?
Are alcohol or general merchandise deliveries covered by the exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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