Quiet hours in Dane County, WI — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Dane County does not have a dedicated county-wide noise ordinance for quiet hours. Unincorporated areas rely on Wisconsin's disorderly conduct statute (Wis. Stat. §947.01) as a fallback. Incorporated municipalities set their own quiet hours.
Dane County's Code of Ordinances does not include a standalone noise/quiet-hours chapter applicable to unincorporated areas. Excessive noise in unincorporated Dane County is addressed through Wisconsin's disorderly conduct law (Wis. Stat. §947.01), which makes it unlawful to engage in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud, or otherwise disorderly conduct. The Dane County Sheriff's Department responds to noise complaints in unincorporated areas. Incorporated municipalities (Madison, Fitchburg, etc.) have their own noise ordinances.
Noise violations in unincorporated areas can result in citations under Wis. Stat. §947.01 (disorderly conduct), with potential fines. Contact the Dane County Sheriff at 608-284-6100 for noise complaints in unincorporated areas.
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See how Dane County's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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