Haltom City, TX Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Local Standard
- Plainly audible and reasonableness
- State Benchmark
- 85 dB per TX Penal Code 42.01
- Warning Required
- Yes, before state-law citation
- Published dBA Schedule
- Not in general code
- Max Fine
- 500 dollars per day
Summary
Haltom City does not publish a detailed decibel schedule. Enforcement uses the plainly audible standard plus TX Penal Code 42.01, which treats noise over 85 dB as per se unreasonable after a prior warning.
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:(1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;(2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;(3) creates, by chemical means, a noxious and unreasonable odor in a public place;(4) abuses or threatens a person in a public place in an obviously offensive manner;(5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he h
Full Breakdown
Unlike Frisco, Plano, or Fort Worth which publish detailed dBA schedules by zoning district and time of day, Haltom City relies primarily on a plainly audible and reasonableness standard in Chapter 54 of its Code of Ordinances. The practical decibel benchmark comes from TX Penal Code 42.01 (Disorderly Conduct), which sets 85 dB as the threshold above which noise is considered per se unreasonable, and requires a peace officer or magistrate to issue a prior warning before a citation for the same offense. Officers responding to complaints may carry sound level meters, but in practice rely on plainly audible at the property line as the operational test. Industrial and commercial districts are held to the same baseline, with context considered. The city has not adopted an ambient L90 or octave-band standard. For detailed dBA scheduling, residents must rely on state law or HOA covenants.
Violations & Fines
Class C misdemeanor; fine up to 500 dollars per day per violation. State law requires prior warning before a citation for unreasonable noise over 85 dB.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Haltom City decibel limit?
Do officers measure noise with meters in Haltom City?
Why does Haltom City not have a decibel chart like Frisco?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Haltom City
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Haltom City to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle decibel limits.