Plymouth, MN Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Plymouth City Code § 2025.09
- Placement standard
- Must meet Table I limits (§2025.07) for its district
- Air conditioners
- Exempt from § 2025.09 placement rule
- Residential back-up generators
- Exempt from § 2025.09 placement rule
- Generator testing hours
- 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. under § 2025.05, Subd. 2
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, maximum state fine (§2025.17)
Summary
In the City of Plymouth, Section 2025.09 requires that any generator or air circulation device permanently installed outdoors meet the Table I decibel limits set in Section 2025.07 for its location. Air conditioning units and residential emergency back-up generators are exempt from the placement rule outright, though back-up generators must still keep their routine testing within the domestic-equipment hours set in Section 2025.05, Subd. 2.
2025.09. - Air Circulation Devices and Generators. No person shall permanently install or place any air circulation device or generator in any outdoor location unless the device in that location will comply with the noise level standards prescribed in Section 2025.07. Air conditioning units and residential emergency back-up generators are exempt from this provision.
Full Breakdown
09 of the Plymouth City Code targets the placement of generators and air circulation devices, not their occasional operation. 07 sets in Table I for the land use district where the noise is received: 65/60 dBA daytime and 55/50 dBA nighttime for residential districts, 70/65 dBA for commercial, and 80/75 dBA for industrial. 09 entirely. That does not mean a residential back-up generator is unregulated, however. 05, Subd. domestic-equipment hours set by Subd. 2 of that Section; only a generator actually running during an active power outage is exempt from those hours.
17 process as the rest of the Noise ordinance: the City Manager can order written correction of a noncompliant installation, and a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by the maximum fine Minnesota law allows for misdemeanor offenses, with the City Manager authorized to call in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to test a disputed reading.
Violations & Fines
Permanently installing an outdoor generator or air circulation device that exceeds the Table I noise limits in Section 2025.07 for its zoning district violates Section 2025.09. Air conditioners and residential back-up generators are exempt from this placement rule, though routine generator testing must still stay within the 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. hours in Section 2025.05, Subd. 2. A violation is a misdemeanor carrying the maximum state fine under Section 2025.17.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a standby generator anywhere in my yard in Plymouth?
Is my home back-up generator exempt from Plymouth's noise rules?
What happens if a business's generator is too loud for its neighborhood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth
Compare Plymouth to another location·View the Minnesota noise from specific sources overview
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