Eagan, MN Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Eagan City Code § 10.31, Subd. 3 requires a permit for any outdoor electronic sound system or audio equipment operated between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and even with a permit, no equipment may run past 12:00 midnight. The permit is issued by the city clerk after review by criteria including volume, frequency, type, day, duration, and the character of surrounding land uses, and can be denied to an applicant who violated a similar permit's terms in the prior five years. Subd. 3(G) imposes the numeric limit: sound produced under the permit cannot exceed the maximum allowable sound pressure level measured at a quarter mile from the permitted property line, set at 55 decibels, or at a half mile, set at 50 decibels.

Measurement must use a Type I or Type II decibel meter under ANSI specifications with an A-weighted fast response scale. A city officer who measures sound exceeding these limits may order the on-site contact person to reduce it, and failing to comply can mean immediate cessation of the amplification and revocation of the permit. The subdivision exempts anti-theft devices, church bells and chimes, school bells, emergency signals, and required emergency vehicle equipment, and does not apply to residential properties, which instead fall under the general Subd. 2 standard.