Salt Lake County, UT Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Numeric cap
- 5 dB above ambient, at property line
- Applicable zones
- MD-1 and MD-3 mixed development zones
- Governing standard
- Health Department Regulation No. 21
- Zoning treatment
- All MD zone land counted as residential
Summary
In Salt Lake County's MD-1 and MD-3 mixed development zones, noise from any use may not exceed five decibels above the ambient level measured at the property line, under county Health Department Regulation No. 21.
The noise level emanating from any use or operation shall not exceed the limits in the health department health regulation number twenty-one, or its successor, regarding noise control. The noise level shall not in any case exceed five decibels above the ambient level of the area measured at the property line. For the purposes of compliance with health regulation number twenty-one all properties located within a mixed development zone shall be considered residential.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake County's mixed development zone standard sets a hard numeric noise ceiling: five decibels above the ambient level of the surrounding area, measured at the property line, and the level also can't exceed the limits in the county Health Department's Health Regulation No. 21 on noise control. For purposes of that health regulation, every property inside an MD-1 or MD-3 zone is treated as residential, which pulls in the regulation's stricter residential noise thresholds even though the zone allows commercial uses.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 5-dBA-above-ambient ceiling is a zoning violation enforceable through the conditional use approval and the county's Health Department noise regulation; the planning commission can revoke approval and impose infraction penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the noise limit in Salt Lake County's MD zones?
Are MD zone properties treated as commercial or residential for noise purposes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah noise ordinances overview
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