Medford, OR Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit (7am-10pm)
- L50 55 dBA, L10 60 dBA, L1 75 dBA
- Nighttime limit (10pm-7am)
- L50 50 dBA, L10 55 dBA, L1 60 dBA
- Blasting impulse cap
- 98 dBC day, 93 dBC night
- Other impulse sound cap
- 100 dB day, 80 dB night peak
- Enforcing agency
- City of Medford Planning Department
- Measurement standard
- DEQ Sound Measurement Procedures Manual NPCS-1
Summary
Medford caps industrial and commercial noise at a noise-sensitive property under Table 752-1: 55 dBA (L50), 60 dBA (L10) and 75 dBA (L1) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., dropping to 50, 55 and 60 dBA overnight. The Planning Department enforces the limits and can order a compliance schedule.
No person owning or controlling an existing industrial or commercial noise source shall cause or permit the operation of that noise source if the statistical noise levels generated by that source and measured at an appropriate measurement point, specified in Section 10.752(6)(b)(ii), exceed the levels specified in Table 752-1, except as otherwise provided herein. [Table 752-1: 7am-10pm: L50 55 dBA, L10 60 dBA, L1 75 dBA; 10pm-7am: L50 50 dBA, L10 55 dBA, L1 60 dBA]
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-32, passed May 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
752 sets statistical noise limits for existing industrial and commercial noise sources, measured at the noise-sensitive property line or 25 feet toward the source from the nearest noise-sensitive building, whichever point is farther from the source. m. New noise sources on a previously used industrial or commercial site instead face the somewhat different Table 752-2 limits, and a new source on a previously unused site cannot raise the ambient L10 or L50 by more than 10 dBA in any hour. and 93 dBC overnight, while all other impulse sounds are capped at 100 dB peak by day and 80 dB peak at night.
If the Planning Director has reasonable cause to believe the basic limits under-protect public health under ORS Chapter 467, the Planning Department can also apply octave-band and one-third-octave-band tests from Table 752-4. Measurement procedures must follow the Department of Environmental Quality's Sound Measurement Procedures Manual (NPCS-1). 225, and agricultural activity. The Planning Department can also grant case-by-case exceptions under OAR 340-35-0010 for unusual or infrequent events and for facilities predating nearby noise-sensitive development.
Violations & Fines
Upon written notice from the Planning Director that a source exceeds Table 752-1, 752-2 or 752-4, the owner or operator must submit an acceptable compliance schedule setting dates, terms and conditions for coming into compliance. The Planning Department may also require ongoing monitoring and recording of noise levels and operating times, reported on a schedule the Department sets, and can conduct its own tests, for which the operator must provide site access, power and cooperation shutting down or manipulating equipment as needed to isolate the noise source.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Medford's daytime commercial noise limit?
Where is Medford's noise level measured?
Does Medford's noise code apply to construction or lawn equipment?
What happens if a Medford business exceeds the noise limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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