Hamilton County, IN Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Section 36-8-2-8, the Hamilton County Sound Regulation Ordinance, sets a general decibel ceiling separate from its nighttime amplified-sound rule. Under subsection (e), no person or landowner may permit noise on their property that exceeds 75 dB/A for more than two minutes per hour, measured at a point no closer than one-half mile from the property line where the sound originates. That half-mile measurement point is unusually far compared to typical municipal noise codes, meaning the rule targets loud, far-carrying sources such as machinery, generators or outdoor events rather than ordinary household sound.

Subsection (d) makes clear the prohibition applies to any means of generating sound, not just amplification: a person, machine, or electronic device. The ordinance applies only outside incorporated cities and towns, per subsection (c). 4-1971 specifications for type S2A meters, and the ordinance defines the A-weighted sound level, ambient noise level, and exceedance levels L10 and L1 to standardize enforcement. The county sheriff's office and its deputies enforce the section using the same procedures as other county ordinances. A first violation is an infraction that can bring a judgment of up to $2,500 for each hour or part of an hour the violation continues; the ordinance layers on the same escalating nonsuspendable nighttime minimums, from $500 past 15 minutes to $2,500 past a full hour, when the 75 dB/A limit is breached during nighttime hours.