Lee's Summit, MO Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential daytime limit
- 55 dba, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Residential nighttime limit
- 50 dba, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Commercial limit
- 65 dba at all times
- Industrial limit
- 70 dba at all times
- Pure tone reduction
- extra 5 dba cut, Sec. 17-256(B)
- Measurement point
- property boundary of receiving land use
Summary
Lee's Summit sets numeric decibel ceilings by receiving land use under City Code Sec. 17-256: 55 dba by day and 50 dba overnight at residential property lines, 65 dba for commercial land at all times, and 70 dba for industrial land at all times, each measured at the property boundary.
A.No person shall operate or cause to be operated on private property any source of sound in such manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth for the receiving land use category, as follows, when measured at or within the property boundary of the receiving land use: Residential uses, as defined by the UDO 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 55; (Residential, public space, open space or agricultural or institutional) 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. 50; Commercial uses, as defined by the UDO At all times 65; Industrial uses, as defined by the UDO At all times 70.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 | Unified Development Ordinance: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
Section 17-256(A) bars any source of sound on private property from exceeding the limit set for the receiving land use category, measured at or within the property boundary of the receiving land use, meaning the test point is the neighbor's line, not the source's own property. m. Commercial land is capped at 65 dba and industrial land at 70 dba, both around the clock with no day/night split. Subsection (B) tightens the table for tonal or impulsive noise: any source that emits a pure tone, defined in Sec.
17-252 by its one-third octave band signature, or an impulsive sound must be knocked down an additional 5 dba below whatever limit otherwise applies, so a pure-tone source hitting a residential boundary at night is capped at 45 dba, not 50. Subsection (C) exempts the unamplified human voice, interstate railway locomotives and railway cars, and agricultural activity from the whole section. This decibel table works alongside, not instead of, the general noise-disturbance ban in Sec. 17-254 and the higher immediate-health-threat thresholds in Sec. 17-258, which lets the Chief of Police order an instant halt to sound above levels as low as 90 dba for 24 hours or 145 dba for a single impulse.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the property-line limit is prosecuted under Sec. 17-259 and punished under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-13(A): up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense. Municipal Court fines are capped under RSMo 479.353 at $200 for a first offense, rising to $275, $350 and $450 for repeat violations within twelve months, and a continuing violation can also be enjoined as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What decibel limit applies to my house at night in Lee's Summit?
Do commercial and industrial properties have a nighttime noise limit?
Is a lawnmower or car engine exempt from the decibel table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee's Summit
Compare Lee's Summit to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle decibel limits.