Ankeny, IA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Ankeny Code of Ordinances Section 44.06(12), titled "Rules," bars any source of sound on public or private property from exceeding fixed decibel limits on receiving land. Residential land is capped at 70 dB between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and 65 dB after 8:00 p.m.; commercial land is capped at 75 dB between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and 70 dB after 8:00 p.m. Subsection A requires measurement with a sound level meter meeting American National Standards Institute specifications, kept in calibration, taken to fairly represent the noise source.

Subsection B gives the Noise Control Officer authority to issue a municipal citation to shut down an event, turn off equipment, or reduce sound to the permitted level if there is no voluntary compliance within a reasonable time. Subsection C states that an event operating without a permit, or exceeding the decibel caps, is subject to the penalties elsewhere in the Code, and Subsection D notes that Entertainment Districts have separate maximum decibel levels defined in Chapter 143. These numeric caps apply specifically to sound equipment operated under a Section 44.06 noise permit, distinct from the time-based restrictions in Section 44.05 that govern lawn equipment, loading noise, and other listed disturbances without a decibel test.