Lakeville, MN Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

The City of Lakeville does not publish numeric decibel limits in its noise ordinance. City Code 4-1-4 and 4-1-4-1 instead use 'audible within 50 feet,' 'plainly audible at the property line,' and general nuisance language as their operative tests, which officers can enforce without a sound meter. Where measured decibel limits do apply, they come from the State of Minnesota. Under the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's noise standards (Minn. R. 7030.0040), limits are set by Noise Area Classification (NAC) and by the L10 and L50 statistical levels. For NAC-1 (residential and similar uses), the daytime limits are 60 dBA (L50) and 65 dBA (L10), and the nighttime limits drop to 50 dBA (L50) and 55 dBA (L10). NAC-2 (commercial) is held to 65/70 dBA day and night, and NAC-3 (industrial) to 75/80 dBA. Daytime is defined as 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and nighttime as 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The classification follows the land use of the receiving property, so a noisy commercial or industrial source heard at a home is judged against the stricter residential numbers. These state standards are primarily enforced by the MPCA. For everyday complaints, Lakeville residents should call the Police Department at 952-985-2800, which enforces the local audibility-based rules.