Eugene, OR Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Eugene, OR, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., every night
- Standard
- 'Plainly audible' inside a neighboring dwelling
- Covers
- Radios, TVs, stereos, instruments, engine noise
- Daytime noise
- Still barred under EC 4.080 if it disturbs
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 100 days jail
Summary
Eugene bans running a radio, TV, stereo, or other sound equipment loud enough to be plainly heard inside a neighboring home between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., under EC 4.083(a)(1). The rule covers any sound-producing device, not just music, and stacks with the city's broader noise-disturbance ban in EC 4.080. Current through Ordinance 20739.
Unless exempted by section 4.084 of this code, the following acts are declared to be noise disturbances.
(a) Sound producing, amplifying or reproducing equipment. Operating or permitting the use or operation of any device designed for sound production, amplification, or reproduction, including but not limited to a radio, drums and other musical instruments, phonograph, television set, tape recorder, loud speaker, or other similar device:
(1) Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day so as to be plainly audible within any dwelling unit which is not the source of the sound; or
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
the following day so as to be plainly audible within any dwelling unit which is not the source of the sound. 080(1)(b) as sound 'where the listener clearly can hear the content of the sound produced by the noise source,' which the code says includes 'musical rhythms, spoken words, vocal sounds, and engine noises,' so a car stereo or an idling engine late at night can trigger the curfew just as a stereo speaker can. window. 083(b) adds a parallel rule for animals: keeping an animal that makes sustained noise for 15 minutes is also a disturbance, day or night.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the nighttime rule is punishable under EC 4.995's catch-all, up to a $500 fine, up to 100 days in jail, or both. EC 4.996(7) also lets the city manager impose an administrative civil penalty under EC 2.018 for an EC 4.083 violation, and EC 4.081 adds separate exposure if the noise isn't stopped within 30 minutes of a citation or recurs within six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do quiet hours start in Eugene?
Can I be cited for noise during the day in Eugene?
Does a barking dog count as a quiet-hours violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
How Eugene compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Eugene to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.