Lawton, OK Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- General machinery limit
- 89 decibels at adjoining property line
- Car wash daytime limit
- 70 dB(A), 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Car wash nighttime limit
- 55 dB(A), 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Exceptions
- Emergencies, city/state equipment, licensed highway vehicles
- Citations
- Secs. 16-4-2-425 and 16-4-2-424(14)
Summary
Lawton sets a hard numeric ceiling on machinery noise: Section 16-4-2-425 bars operating machinery or a motor vehicle that creates noise exceeding 89 decibels at any adjoining property line. Car washes get a separate, lower, time-based limit under Section 16-4-2-424(14).
No person shall operate or permit the operation of any machinery or motor vehicle on any property owned by such person which creates a noise exceeding eighty-nine (89) decibels at any adjoining property line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
' That 89-decibel ceiling is measured at the boundary with the neighboring property, not at the source, and it applies city-wide regardless of zoning district or time of day. Subsection B lists five exceptions: properly licensed and muffled motor vehicles operating under state highway law; equipment or machinery run under a council resolution during a declared emergency; equipment necessary to eliminate an imminent health or safety hazard on the recommendation of the code official or health officer and approved by the city manager; equipment owned or contracted for by the state or the city; and car washes, which the section expressly says are 'covered by Section 16-4-2-424' instead.
, both measured 'at the property line of the lot on which the car wash is located' and covering the facility's own machinery as well as customer vehicles and stereos on site. Together the two sections give Lawton two enforceable numeric thresholds: 89 decibels for general machinery and motor vehicles, and the tighter day/night car-wash-specific limits.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 89-decibel machinery limit, or the car wash's 70/55-decibel day/night limits, is enforced by code enforcement or Lawton Police Department officers and, absent a listed fine for either section, defaults to the general penalty in Section 1-1-119: up to $750.00 in fines and/or sixty days in jail, with continued excess noise chargeable day by day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the 89-decibel noise limit measured in Lawton?
Are car washes held to the same decibel limit as other machinery?
Is emergency generator or repair equipment exempt from the 89-decibel rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawton
Compare Lawton to another location·View the Oklahoma noise ordinances overview
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