Fort Collins, CO Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Fort Collins, CO, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Residential night limit
- 50 dB(A), 8pm-7am
- Residential day limit
- 55 dB(A), 7am-8pm
- Industrial zone limit
- 75-80 dB(A)
- Pure-tone reduction
- minus 5 dB(A)
- Enforcing office
- Code Compliance Inspector
- Max misdemeanor fine
- $2,650 under § 1-15
- Variance cap
- 1 year, City Manager appeal
Summary
Fort Collins caps outdoor sound at 50 dB(A) between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential zones under Municipal Code § 20-23, five decibels below the 55 dB(A) daytime ceiling. Downtown and commercial districts step up to 55/60 dB(A), employment areas to 65/70, and industrial zones to 75/80. Any noise above these levels is a declared disturbance and a misdemeanor.
A noise measured or registered in the manner provided in § 20-24 from any source at a level which is in excess of the dB(A) established for the time period and zoning districts listed in this Section is hereby declared to be a noise disturbance and is unlawful. When a noise source can be identified and its noise measured in more than one (1) zoning district, the limits of the most restrictive zoning district shall apply. ... Areas zoned: Low Density Residential (R-L), Urban Estate (U-E), Foothills Residential (R-F)... 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 55 / 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 50
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Fort Collins does not label § 20-23 a "quiet hours" ordinance, but its two-tier decibel table functions as one: every zoning district gets a lower nighttime cap than its daytime cap. m. Downtown and commercial districts (D, D-C-A, D-C-C, R-D-R, C-C, C-C-N, C-C-R, C-N, N-C, C-L, H-C) run 60/55 dB(A), the Employment district 70/65 dB(A), and Industrial 80/75 dB(A). If the noise is a pure tone, § 20-23(b) cuts every one of those limits by another 5 dB(A). In a multi-use building, § 20-23(c) applies the building's own zoning-district maximum to noise crossing between units.
Measurement follows § 20-24: a sound level meter reading taken at least 25 feet from a right-of-way source, or at the receiving property line for a private-property source, using a wind screen and skipping readings when wind (including gusts) tops 15 mph. 5-1; even a granted variance cannot let an activity run above 90 dB(A) for more than eight hours, and variance denials or revocations can be appealed to the City Manager. This is the general noise ceiling; construction, agricultural, emergency and other listed activities are separately exempted under § 20-25.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the § 20-23 table is a noise disturbance and unlawful under § 20-29, enforced by summons from Code Compliance or police. It's an unclassified misdemeanor under the general penalty in § 1-15: up to $2,650 in fines, up to 180 days in jail, or both, plus court costs, with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
How Fort Collins compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Fort Collins to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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