Noblesville, IN Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Section 93.25 of the Noblesville Code of Ordinances governs noise for all persons and property 'outside the boundaries of the properties described in the legal description provided in Exhibit A of Ordinance 40-5-03,' meaning the general zoning-based limits apply to most of the city. Subsection (C) makes it unlawful to generate sound that exceeds the chart's decibel level for more than five minutes, on aggregate, within any fifteen-minute period, measured on a sound level meter from at least fifty feet away, or that exceeds 70 decibels for any period at all at that same fifty-foot distance.

The chart itself sets three tiers: Commercial districts are capped at 60 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 50 dB(A) overnight from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; Industrial districts are capped at a flat 70 dB(A) at any time; and Residential districts, along with all other districts not otherwise listed, are capped at 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) overnight. When a violation occurs on private property, § 93.25(C)(3) requires the measurement to be taken from the property line, or from the shared wall boundary in an apartment, condominium, or townhouse setting.

Violations are fined under § 93.25(G): up to $500 for a first offense in a Commercial or Industrial district (or $250 in a Residential or other district), doubling for a second offense within two years, and rising to $2,500 for a fourth or later offense in any district. Citations are issued by a City Code Enforcement Officer or a Noblesville Police Department officer under § 93.25(H).