Milton, WI Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Code § 78-06.31(3), Fig. 78.06.31a
- Residential district limit
- Plus 3 dBA over ambient
- Commercial/mixed district limit
- Plus 5 dBA over ambient
- Heavy industrial limit
- Plus 8 dBA over ambient
- Measurement standard
- Type 2 meter, ANSI S1.4-1983
Summary
Milton, Wisconsin's zoning code sets a maximum sound-pressure increase over ambient noise at the lot line, measured with a Type 2 ANSI-certified meter, ranging from plus 3 dBA in residential districts up to plus 8 dBA in the heaviest industrial zones. The standard applies where a noise-generating lot abuts residential, mixed-use, or institutional land.
(3)Requirements. All noise shall be muffled so as not be objectionable due to intermittence, frequency, or shrillness. In no event shall the sound-pressure level of noise continuously radiated from a facility exceed the values given in Figure 78.06.31a (as adjusted where applicable in Figure 78.06.31b) and as measured by a Type 2 sound meter that is in compliance with ANSI standard S1.4-1983. The measurement shall be conducted at the lot line of the subject property where said lot abuts property within any residential, mixed use, or institutional zoning district. ... Figure 78.06.31a. Maximum Permitted Noise Level at Lot Line for Continuous Noise Zoning District Increase in Noise Level Over Ambient Level SR-7, SR-10, MH-7, TF-8, TF-10, RH-35, CON Plus 3 dBA I, MR-10, MR-20 Plus 5 dBA IL, GI, HI, IOS, IOC, EX Plus 8 dBA
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-1983, applied where the noise-generating lot abuts a residential, mixed-use, or institutional zoning district. 31a caps the permitted increase over ambient noise level at plus 3 dBA in the SR-7, SR-10, MH-7, TF-8, TF-10, RH-35, and CON districts; plus 5 dBA in the I, MR-10, and MR-20 districts; and plus 8 dBA in the IL, GI, HI, IOS, IOC, and EX industrial districts. 31b, adjusts those limits by operation type: daytime-only operation and noise sources running less than 20 percent of any hour each add 5 dBA of headroom, sources running less than 5 percent of an hour add 10 dBA, and sources running less than 1 percent of an hour add 15 dBA, while impulsive noise (hammering) and periodic noise (hum, speech) each subtract 5 dBA.
Construction noise on the site of the principal use, and incidental traffic, parking, loading, maintenance, or agricultural noise, are exempt. Noise already occurring before the chapter's effective date is treated as legal nonconforming, but the noise producer carries the burden of proving that timing.
Violations & Fines
A noise reading over the applicable dBA cap is a zoning violation enforced under Sec. 78-10.60: the zoning administrator can demand correction, and an uncorrected violation goes to the city attorney for prosecution or a court injunction. The Chapter 1 general penalty applies: $50 to $500 for a first offense and $100 to $1,000 for a repeat offense, plus costs of prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many decibels over ambient noise are allowed in Milton's residential zones?
Are industrial businesses in Milton allowed louder noise?
Does Milton exempt construction noise from its decibel limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milton
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Rock County handle decibel limits.