Farmington Hills, MI Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Section 17-101(a) sets the general rule: no operation or activity shall be carried on that causes or creates measurable noise levels that are unreasonably loud or that unreasonably interfere with the peace and comfort of others, or that exceed the maximum noise level limits prescribed in Table A as measured at any point on property adjacent or in close proximity to the lot or parcel on which the operation or activity is located. Section 17-101(b) prescribes the measurement method: equipment and procedures shall conform to the latest American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifications, equipment shall be properly calibrated before and after measurements, and an A-weighted filter constructed in accordance with ANSI specifications shall be used so all results are expressed in Db(A). Section 17-101(c) Table A sets Maximum Permitted Noise Levels: Residential uses (RA, RP, RC, SP, MH districts) 60 Db(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., 55 Db(A) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., 50 Db(A) from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; Business/Office uses (OS, B, ES, P districts) 65 Db(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., 50 Db(A) from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; Industrial uses (IRO, LI-1 districts) where all adjacent properties are used for industrial/business purposes 70 Db(A) anytime; Industrial where any adjacent property is residential 60 Db(A) anytime. Section 17-101(d) (background noise) allows source operations to match - but not exceed - ambient background levels where ambient already exceeds Table A. Section 17-101(e) (intermittent / pure-tone sounds) lets officers cite intermittent or tonal sounds that fall below the Table A trigger when they unreasonably interfere with peace and comfort, considering proximity to sleeping facilities, the nature of the use, time of day, and duration. Section 17-101(g) lists exempt activities. The Michigan Home Rule City Act, Act 279 of 1909, authorizes Farmington Hills to adopt this dB-based local police-power ordinance; Michigan has no statewide environmental noise dBA code, leaving local authority broad. MCL 750.167 (disorderly persons) supplies a parallel state misdemeanor for unreasonable noise. Active disturbances are routed to the Farmington Hills Police Department non-emergency line; code-enforcement complaints route through the Special Services Department. Enforcement uses calibrated ANSI sound-level meters where Table A is invoked, or the Section 17-101(a) and (e) reasonableness standard where meters are not deployed.