Carmel City Code Sec. 6-158(a) sets numeric dBA limits by zoning district and time of day, measured at 50 feet: residential 55/50 dBA, business 60/50 dBA, and industrial/agricultural 70 dBA anytime. A hard cap of 70 dBA at 50 feet applies for any period of time, and sound audible at 50 feet can also violate the code.
Carmel is a true decibel-limit city. Sec. 6-158(a) prohibits sound that (1) is audible 50 feet or more from its source, (2) exceeds the chart below for five minutes or more within any 30-minute period when measured on a dB(A) scale at no less than 50 feet, or (3) exceeds 70 decibels for any period of time at no less than 50 feet. The zoning chart sets: residential districts (S-1, S-2, R-1 through R-5) at 55 dBA from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 dBA from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.; business and mixed districts (B-1 through B-8, C-1, C-2, OM, PM, PUD, P-1) at 60 dBA from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 50 dBA from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; and industrial/agricultural districts (I-1, M-1, M-3, AG-1) at 70 dBA anytime. Sec. 6-158(g) defines 'ambient noise level' as the A-weighted sound pressure level of the encompassing environment and describes how it is measured (at the same location as the offending source, or by moving away to a steady reading at least four feet from any reflecting wall). These measurement rules make the ordinance enforceable with a sound-level meter.
Exceeding a decibel limit is an infraction under Sec. 6-158(d): up to $250 (first), $500 (second), $1,000 (third), and $2,500 (fourth and subsequent). Citations are issued by sworn Carmel Metropolitan Police officers (Sec. 6-158(f)) and adjudicated in the Carmel City Court (Sec. 6-158(e)). Report excessive noise to non-emergency dispatch at 317-571-2580.
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