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Anchorage, AK Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Quiet hours in Anchorage, AK, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.

Key Facts

Daytime limit
60 dB(A) (7 a.m.-10 p.m.)
Nighttime limit
50 dB(A) (10 p.m.-7 a.m.)
Measured at
Receiving property line
Enforced by
Anchorage Health Department
Repeat offense
Up to double penalties within a year

Summary

Anchorage's nighttime noise limit takes over at 10:00 p.m.: sound crossing into a residential property may not exceed 50 dB(A) at the property line until 7:00 a.m., down from the 60 dB(A) daytime cap in AMC 15.70.080.

Except when a permit has been issued by the department or as otherwise provided in subsection B of this section, no person shall operate or allow to be operated on public or private property any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the limits set forth for the receiving land use category in Table 1... Receiving Property Line Limits (7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m.)... Residential Residential 60... (10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m.)... Residential Residential 50

Source: AMC Chapter 15.70 Noise ControlView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5010260; v11 updated 2026-09-01).

Full Breakdown

080 regulates sound at the point where it arrives, not where it is made. No person may operate, or allow to be operated, a sound source on public or private property that exceeds the limit set for the receiving land use category in the section's Table 1, measured at the receiving property line. , which makes the overnight figure the municipality's operative quiet-hours rule. The measurement is an Lmax reading taken at the receiving property line, so what counts is the level at your neighbor's boundary, not at your speaker or generator.

Table 1 allows higher levels where commercial or industrial uses are the emitter or the receiver, so the residential-to-residential numbers are the tightest standard. The limits are also not absolute: the Anchorage Health Department, which enforces the section, can issue permits allowing exceptions, and subsection B of the section carries its other exemptions.

Violations & Fines

Exceeding the property-line limits is a municipal code violation. The Anchorage Health Department can issue an enforcement order and assess fines, and penalties can run up to double for a repeat offense within a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do quiet hours start and end in Anchorage?
The nighttime limit runs from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. under AMC 15.70.080; the daytime standard applies from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
How loud is too loud at night?
Between residential properties, sound may not exceed 50 dB(A) at the receiving property line overnight, versus 60 dB(A) during the day.
Where is the noise actually measured?
At the receiving property line, as an Lmax reading; the applicable limit depends on the receiving land use category in Table 1.
Are exceptions possible?
Yes. The Anchorage Health Department can issue a permit allowing a source to exceed the limits, and subsection B of the section provides other exceptions.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Anchorage

All Anchorage rules

How Anchorage compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Anchorage to another location·View the Alaska noise ordinances overview

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