Quiet hours in Burlington, VT β also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time β define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Burlington Code of Ordinances Β§21-13 sets citywide quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, during which noise plainly audible between apartments or houses is deemed unreasonable. Burlington Police enforce, with first-offense civil fines of $200 ($300 for social gatherings) and criminal proceedings on third offense.
Burlington's noise framework is set by Code of Ordinances Chapter 21 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions), Section 21-13. Subsection (b)(1) prohibits any loud or unreasonable noise that disturbs, injures, or endangers the peace, health, safety, or welfare of others. Quiet hours run 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, and noise plainly audible between apartments or dwelling units during that window is per se unreasonable under Β§21-13. The reasonableness standard considers time, place, and nature of the sound, supplementing the plainly-audible test. Section 21-13 also expressly prohibits loud parties, amplified music outdoors, and habitual disturbances. Enforcement is by the Burlington Police Department; complaints route to the non-emergency line at (802) 658-2704. Civil penalties under the Burlington ticketing schedule are a minimum $200 for a first general noise violation and $300 for a second within 24 months; party and social-gathering violations start at $300 per resident or offender, escalating to $400 for a second offense, and a third violation in 24 months triggers criminal prosecution with fines up to $500. Construction noise is separately regulated under Burlington's construction noise policy with daytime hours typically 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Vermont enabling authority for municipal noise rules derives from 24 V.S.A. Β§2291(14).
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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