Wauwatosa, WI Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Section 7.46.110, Chapter 7.46 Noise
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Covered activity
- Loading/unloading merchandise at stores
- Standard
- Unnecessary or unreasonably loud/harsh sound
- Origin
- Prior code § 9.02(10); Ord. O-03-09
Summary
Wauwatosa Municipal Code Section 7.46.110 bars any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound from loading or unloading merchandise at stores between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. that disturbs the comfort, quiet or repose of people nearby, targeting overnight delivery-truck and dock noise near residential neighbors.
No person shall cause, suffer, or allow any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of the loading or unloading of merchandise at stores between the hours of ten p.m. and six a.m. which shall disturb the comfort, quiet, or repose of persons in the vicinity thereof.
Full Breakdown
02(10) and was carried forward by Ord. O-03-09 in 2003. , and only to sound from loading or unloading merchandise at stores, which covers delivery trucks idling, backing alarms, pallet jacks, hand trucks and dock doors used to move retail goods. 020 (mechanical or electrical devices) still apply around the clock. The test is whether the sound is unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh and disturbs the comfort, quiet or repose of persons in the vicinity, which lets enforcement focus on avoidable or excessive banging and idling rather than every incidental delivery sound. 120), showing the city's consistent late-night quiet-hours approach for commercial operations near homes.
Violations & Fines
Section 7.46.150 sends Chapter 7.46 violations without their own penalty to the general forfeiture in Section 1.12.010: one to five thousand dollars for a first offense and at least twenty-five dollars for a repeat conviction, with each night of continued overnight loading noise chargeable as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Wauwatosa store receive deliveries at 4:00 a.m.?
Does the loading-noise rule apply during the day?
Who enforces overnight loading noise complaints in Wauwatosa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wauwatosa
Compare Wauwatosa to another location·View the Wisconsin noise from specific sources overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Delivery Truck Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle delivery truck noise.