Terrebonne Parish, LA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Terrebonne Parish Code Sec. 5 meters) or that exceeds 70 decibels, whether generated on the interior or exterior of the building or vehicle. The ordinance separately declares any sound from a private structure or residence that is audible outside that structure a nuisance, with no decibel or distance threshold at all: it need not hit 70 decibels to violate the section. Enforcement runs through criminal citation. A first violation tied to a private structure or commercial establishment carries a $100 fine; a second violation is $500 and up to 90 days in jail; a third and each later violation carries a mandatory $500 fine plus 30 to 90 days in jail without benefit of suspended sentence.

After three violations, a court may issue a permanent injunction against the violator. Motor-vehicle noise is penalized on a separate schedule: $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense. The section exempts safety and warning devices, church or school bells and carillons, and activity under a temporary sound permit. The parish planning department is the sole issuer of those permits, which run no more than three days, cannot be issued consecutively within a six-month span, cost $25 to apply for, and cannot go to any business holding a Terrebonne Parish occupational license. A permit can be revoked on the spot by law enforcement for violations including disorderly conduct, obscenity or unlawful alcohol sales.