Fort Bend County, TX Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Fort Bend County, TX, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- County Quiet Hours
- None set
- State Law
- Penal Code §42.01(a)(5)
- Threshold
- 85 dB presumed unreasonable
- Enforcement
- Fort Bend County Sheriff (281) 341-4665
- City Rules
- Apply in Sugar Land/Missouri City/Richmond
Summary
Fort Bend County has NO quiet-hours ordinance in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack the police power to enact one (Local Gov't Code Ch. 233). Enforcement falls back to Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5) disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise. Cities inside the county (Sugar Land, Missouri City) DO have their own rules.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: ... (5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy; ... (c) For purposes of this section: ... (2) a noise is presumed to be unreasonable if the noise exceeds a decibel level of 85 after the person making the noise receives notice from a magistrate or peace officer that the noise is a public nuisance. (d) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor unless committed under Subsection (a)(7) or (a)(8), in which event it is a Class B misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Fort Bend County can't give you a quiet-hours ordinance because Texas doesn't let counties enact one, counties lack the police power cities have, with their limited authority set out in Local Gov't Code Ch. 233. In unincorporated areas, loud neighbors are a state-law matter: disorderly conduct under Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5) covers unreasonable noise, with 85 dB the threshold at which noise is presumed unreasonable. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office enforces it. Inside city limits it's a different story, Sugar Land, Missouri City and Richmond each have their own noise rules that do apply.
Violations & Fines
No county citation exists to issue. Unreasonable noise in unincorporated areas can be charged as disorderly conduct under Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5), enforced by the county sheriff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fort Bend County have quiet hours?
Who do I call about a loud neighbor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Bend County
How Fort Bend County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Fort Bend County to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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