New Orleans, LA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential and public space
- 60 dBA L10 / 70 Lmax by day; 55 / 60 at night
- Business and commercial
- 65 / 75 by day; 60 / 65 at night
- Industrial
- 75 dBA L10 / 85 dBA Lmax at all times
- Day band
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; night is 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Measurement period
- At least ten minutes at the property boundary
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to 90 days jail; each day separate
- Temporary permit
- $20, up to four occasions or six weeks
Summary
New Orleans caps sound by the zoning of the property that receives it. Residential and public space land gets 60 dBA L10 and 70 dBA Lmax from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., dropping to 55 and 60 overnight. Business districts allow 65 and 75 by day and 60 and 65 at night, and industrial land allows 75 and 85 at all times. City Code § 66-202, Table 1 sets every limit.
(a) No person shall operate or cause to be operated any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth for the receiving land use category in table 1. ... TABLE 1 SOUND LEVELS BY RECEIVING LAND USE Sound Level Limit Receiving Land Use Category Time L 10 dBA L max dBA Resident, public space 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 60 70 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. 55 60 Two-family or multiple-family dwelling (intra dwelling) 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. 50 45 60 55 Business and commercial 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 65 75 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. 60 65 Industrial At all times 75 85 SHD/VCE districts At all times 10 decibels above the ambient noise level; or 60 decibels, whichever is higher. SHD/VCR 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. *75 *80 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. *55 *60 SHD/VCC 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. *75 *80 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. *60 *65 SHD/HMR 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 60 70 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. 55 60 SHD/HMC 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 65 75 10:00 p.m.— 7:00 a.m. 60 65 *Adjusted for other, intrusive sounds.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 66-202(a) bars any person from operating a source of sound that exceeds the Table 1 limit for the receiving land use category. The category that counts is the land where the sound lands, not the land where it starts. Each category carries two numbers: L10, the A-weighted level exceeded ten percent of the measurement period, and Lmax, a ceiling that no peak can cross. When a source can be measured in more than one category, subsection (e) applies the limits of the more restrictive use at the boundary, except in the Vieux Carré entertainment district.
The core limits run on a 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. day band and a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. night band. Residential and public space receivers get 60 L10 and 70 Lmax by day, then 55 and 60 at night. Business and commercial receivers get 65 and 75 by day, then 60 and 65. Industrial land has one standard at all times: 75 L10 and 85 Lmax. Two-family and multiple-family dwellings use a tighter indoor test: 50 L10 and 60 Lmax by day, 45 and 55 at night, measured inside the adjacent dwelling under subsection (d).
The historic districts have their own rows. SHD/VCE, the Vieux Carré entertainment district, allows 10 decibels above the ambient noise level or 60 decibels, whichever is higher, at all times. SHD/VCR allows 75 and 80 by day and 55 and 60 at night, and SHD/VCC allows 75 and 80 by day and 60 and 65 at night. Both of those rows carry an asterisk meaning the figure is adjusted for other, intrusive sounds. SHD/HMR in the Marigny allows 60 and 70, then 55 and 60, and SHD/HMC allows 65 and 75, then 60 and 65.
Measurement follows § 66-201 and § 66-202(b). Inspectors use a calibrated Type 2 or better sound level meter on the A-weighted network, set to slow response for everything except motor vehicles, which are read on fast. The measurement period cannot be shorter than ten minutes, taken at or beyond the property boundary of the receiving land use. In the SHD/VCE the reading can be taken 7.5 meters (25 feet) from the source with three feet of clearance from any reflecting surface. Land use follows the zoning districts listed in § 66-136, and any area left unclassified is treated as commercial.
Violations & Fines
Violating the noise article is a misdemeanor under § 66-140. A conviction carries a fine up to the amount state law authorizes, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and every day the violation is committed or allowed to continue counts as a separate offense. Section 66-141 adds a civil remedy: a court can order a business, device, vehicle or machine abated summarily by restraining order or injunction. The director of the department of health and the superintendent of police administer enforcement under § 66-137.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime noise limit at a New Orleans house?
How do inspectors measure a noise complaint in New Orleans?
Which noises are exempt from Table 1?
Can I get a permit for a loud event in New Orleans?
Do higher limits apply in the French Quarter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
Compare New Orleans to another location·View the Louisiana noise ordinances overview
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