Lane County, OR Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 60 dBA, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Nighttime limit
- 50 dBA, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Measured at
- Neighboring noise-sensitive unit's boundary
- Meter standard
- ANSI 1.4-1971 Type I or II
- Enforcement path
- LC Chapter 5 admin / Chapter 9 abatement
Summary
Lane County caps measured noise at 60 dBA between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and 50 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. under LC 6.225.010A(1), tested at or inside the boundary of the nearest home, apartment, hospital or other "noise sensitive unit" that isn't the source. Readings must come from a calibrated Type I or Type II meter operated by DEQ-trained personnel.
1. When measurement made. When measured at or within the boundary of the property on which a noise sensitive unit - that is not the source of the sound - is located, or within a noise sensitive unit that is not the source of the sound, a. exceeds fifty (50) dBA between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day. b. exceeds sixty (60) dBA between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. of the same day. ... "Noise Sensitive Unit" means any building or portion thereof, vehicle, boat or other structure adapted or used for the overnight accommodation of persons, including, but not limited to individual residential units, individual apartments, trailers, hospitals and nursing homes.
Full Breakdown
the following day. is located, or within a noise sensitive unit", meaning the test point is the neighbor's property line or interior, not the source's own yard. 005 defines a "Noise Sensitive Unit" broadly: any building, vehicle, boat or structure adapted or used for overnight accommodation, including individual residences, apartments, trailers, hospitals and nursing homes. 4-1971 as a Type I or Type II instrument, with both A-weighted and C-weighted scales and fast and slow response, and the person taking the reading must have completed sound-measurement training from Oregon DEQ or a qualified acoustical engineer, using a fast meter setting.
if it is simply "plainly audible" inside a neighboring noise-sensitive unit or 50 feet or more into a public right-of-way, without needing a decibel number at all. from both thresholds.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding either the 50 or 60 dBA threshold is enforced administratively under LC Chapter 5 or through nuisance abatement under LC Chapter 9, per LC 6.225.030A, and a property owner who knows about a violation and can stop it but doesn't is personally liable under LC 6.225.013. There is no separate fine schedule printed in LC 6.225 itself; penalties run through the County's general administrative enforcement and abatement process instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides if my neighbor's noise is really over 60 dBA?
Does the 50 dBA nighttime limit apply to my own house or my neighbor's?
Is there a buffer period between the daytime and nighttime limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lane County
Compare Lane County to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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