Lafayette, IN Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Chapter 11.02's quantitative limits appear in two sections. Section 11.02.040(A) caps vehicle noise at eighty dBA in speed zones of thirty-five mph or less within the corporate limits, with the sound pressure level measured from the edge of the lane of travel of the violator. Section 11.02.050(A) sets separate limits for stationary noise sources by zone: fifty-five dBA between ten p.m. and seven a.m. in a residential zone, sixty-four dBA at all times in a commercial zone, and sixty-six dBA at all times in an industrial zone, each measured at any point on the property boundary.

Where a property sits on the line between two zones, § 11.02.050(B) applies the lower of the two limits regardless of which zone the noise source itself occupies. The ordinance defines the relevant zones by cross-reference to Title 15's zoning map: residential zones R1, R1A, R1B, R2, R3 and R4; commercial zones AB, LB, LBS, GB, CB and SC; and industrial zones I and IR. Section 11.02.050(D) further breaks the 55-dBA residential and 64-dBA commercial limits into octave-band maximums at nine standard frequencies for engineering enforcement, while industrial-zone measurement instead defers to Title 15's separate industrial noise standard. The Lafayette Police Department, using a sound level meter meeting ANSI Type II specifications under § 11.02.990(E), enforces both limits.