Kokomo, IN Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Kokomo Code of Ordinances § 132.03(B)(10) prohibits operating any noise-creating blower or power fan, or any internal combustion engine, that causes loud and raucous noise from the explosion of operating gases or fluids, unless the blower or fan is muffled and the engine carries a muffler device sufficient to deaden the noise. Because standby and portable generators run on internal combustion engines, an unmuffled or poorly muffled generator running loudly falls squarely within this prohibition. Section 132.04(B) provides a limited daytime exemption for certain properly muffled equipment, listing lawnmowers, weed blowers, garden tractors, construction and repair equipment, go-carts, and power tools between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., but that exemption is tied to those named categories and to proper muffling; it does not exempt an engine that is not effectively muffled.

The general 83 dB(A)-at-15-feet threshold in § 132.03(B)(11) also applies to generator noise as an alternative test. Enforcement runs through the Kokomo Police Department, with a citation contestable in court under the complaint procedure at § 132.05.