Bossier City, LA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Chapter 46, Article II opens with a blanket ban on any loud, unreasonable or unusual noise that disturbs the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within city limits, then lists specific acts, among others, that automatically count as violations. Sec. 46-31(b)(7), titled Exhausts, targets engine noise directly: it is unlawful to discharge exhaust from any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motor vehicle engine or motorboat engine except through a muffler or other device that will effectively prevent loud or explosive noises. A stationary internal combustion engine covers a portable or standby generator running without an effective muffler, so a homeowner or contractor running a loud generator during a power outage or at a job site can be cited if the unit lacks adequate muffling.

The provision does not exempt emergency generators outright; it only requires effective muffling, which means the analysis turns on whether the exhaust noise is controlled, not on why the generator is running. The same subsection separately restricts construction-related noise, including excavation and building work, to daytime hours in residential areas, which shows the city treats generator noise as part of a broader scheme rather than an isolated rule. Because Article II has no fine schedule of its own, a citation for an unmuffled generator falls under Sec.

1-9's general Code penalty, which allows a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, and treats each additional day of the same violation as a new, separately punishable offense. The Bossier City Police Department can respond to a complaint and issue the citation.