Loveland, CO Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Loveland's numeric decibel framework is set out in a single table at LMC 7.32.040. The table uses two columns - daytime (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and nighttime (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) - and three zone rows (residential, commercial, industrial). The caps are: residential 55 db(A) day / 50 db(A) night; commercial 60 db(A) day / 55 db(A) night; industrial 75 db(A) day / 70 db(A) night. All measurements per LMC 7.32.010(A) are taken at 25 feet or more from any property line. LMC 7.32.020(D) (Adjacent) requires the more restricted zone to govern when a source can be measured for more than one zone - so industrial sources audible at a residential property line are held to the 55/50 cap at that line. LMC 7.32.020(E) defines 'db(A)' as sound levels in decibels measured on the A-scale of a standard sound level meter having characteristics defined by ANSI Publication S1.4-1983 (or successor publications). LMC 7.32.050 (Sound measurement) requires measurements be made with wind velocity no more than 5 miles per hour and requires consideration of the effect of ambient noise from all environmental sources. LMC 7.32.010(B) reduces the effective cap by 5 db(A) for any periodic, impulsive, or shrill noise - so a periodic source in a residential zone must stay at or below 50 db(A) day / 45 db(A) night. LMC 7.32.060(A) allows the table to be exceeded by 10 db(A) for up to 15 minutes in any one-hour period during the daytime window only (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) - a calibration that recognizes brief disruptions like passing trucks, single events. LMC 7.32.060(E) treats railroad rights-of-way as industrial. LMC 7.32.060(F) treats permitted construction projects as industrial for the project's duration. Compare to Colorado state CRS 25-12-103: identical residential 55/50, identical commercial 60/55, but Colorado state law uses 7 a.m. / 7 p.m. (Loveland gives an extra 2 hours of daytime), separate light-industrial 70/65 and industrial 80/75 (Loveland uses one industrial tier at 75/70 - stricter than the state's heavy-industrial 80/75).