DuPage County, IL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 71 dB, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Nighttime limit
- 61 dB, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Measured
- At receiving residential property line
- Coverage
- Unincorporated DuPage County only
- Enforcement
- Code Hearing Unit, Chapter 34
Summary
DuPage County caps sound reaching a residential-zoned property at 71 decibels from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 61 decibels overnight, under the zoning ordinance's noise performance standards for unincorporated areas.
No person shall cause or allow the emission of sound during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (daytime hours) which exceeds the allowable octave band sound pressure level (dB) of seventy-one (71) dB ... during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (night time hours) which exceeds the allowable octave band sound pressure level (dB) of sixty-one (61) dB ... when the sound is measured at any point within a receiving residential zoned property from any other property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 37-1010 of the DuPage County Zoning Ordinance, no one may cause sound reaching a residential-zoned property that exceeds 71 dB (octave band sound pressure level, 63 Hz center frequency) between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or 61 dB during the same 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. window. The level is measured at any point on the receiving residential property using a device such as the Extech Model 407750 sound meter. Routine yard work, emergency cleanup, permitted public events, and government emergency operations are exempted, though the county can still order noise mitigation if an exempt source becomes a nuisance.
Violations & Fines
The county's Code Hearing Unit adjudicates zoning violations under Chapter 34, with authority to order noise mitigation and impose fines; the hearing officer cannot order incarceration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DuPage County's decibel limit for noise?
Does this limit apply inside towns like Naperville or Wheaton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DuPage County
Compare DuPage County to another location·View the Illinois noise ordinances overview
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