Elkhart County, IN Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Elkhart County, IN, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Decibel limit
- 83 dBA measured at 15 feet
- General rule
- No loud, raucous or disturbing noise
- Termination request
- Not required for decibel violations
- Enforcing agency
- County Sheriff's Department
- First-offense fine
- $250 to $2,500
- Variance permit
- File 10 days before event
Summary
Unincorporated Elkhart County bans any loud, raucous or disturbing noise that violates neighbors' peace, and sets a hard decibel line: exceeding 83 dBA measured from 15 feet is automatic proof of a violation under § 94.03(C), no complaint or warning required.
(C) Decibel based prohibition. In addition to the prohibitions at divisions (B)(1) through (B)(8) above, the following acts are declared to be loud, raucous or disturbing noises in violation of this section, based on decibel (dB).
(1) Any noise that exceeds a level of 83 dBA based on a distance from the noise source of not less than 15 feet, and irrespective of the 50 feet standard set forth in divisions (B)(1) through (B)(8) above, shall be prima facie evidence of a noise prohibited by this section.
(2) All provisions of division (C)(1) above to the contrary notwithstanding, noise that creates fewer decibels than 83 dBA from 15 feet also constitutes noise prohibited by this section if such noise otherwise constitutes a prohibited noise stated in this section. Further, there is not any decibel measurement requirement necessary to prove the existence of a noise prohibited by section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-23: Supplement contains: Current through local legislation passed on or before July 31, 2025; and State Legislation current through 2025 Indiana Legislative Service, Pamphlet #3).
Full Breakdown
03(A) sets the general rule: no one may make or continue any loud, raucous, improper, unreasonable, offensive or unusual noise that disturbs the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others in the unincorporated county. 03(B) lists eight specific violations, including vehicle horns and exhausts, boom boxes and stereos, commercial public address devices, barking animals, squealing tires, loud loading and unloading, and noise near schools, churches or hospitals; most of these require a 'termination request,' an oral or written demand to stop, before plainly-audible-at-50-feet noise becomes a citable offense.
03(C), the decibel-based prohibition at issue here, removes that requirement: any noise exceeding 83 dBA measured from at least 15 feet away is prima facie evidence of a violation on its own, and the code specifies noise below 83 dBA can still violate the chapter if it otherwise fits a listed prohibition, with no decibel measurement required to prove a case. 04 exempts emergency alerts, disaster response work, school-sponsored activities, government-authorized public events, agricultural equipment in ag-zoned areas, permitted manufacturing operations, and consumer fireworks during specified holiday windows.
05 by filing a written request with the Board of Commissioners at least ten days ahead. C. C. 9-30-3-6, and may issue a warning before citing.
Violations & Fines
First violation: $250 to $2,500. Second violation within two years: $500 to $2,500. Third violation within two years of the second: $1,000 to $2,500. Each further violation within two years: $1,500 to $2,500. Violators also owe all applicable court costs under § 94.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Elkhart County have a specific decibel limit for noise?
Do I have to warn a neighbor before calling in a noise complaint?
Are farm equipment and school events exempt from the noise ordinance?
What happens on a repeat noise violation in Elkhart County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elkhart County
How Elkhart County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Elkhart County to another location·View the Indiana noise ordinances overview
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