Grand Prairie, TX Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Grand Prairie, TX, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Nighttime hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Residential nighttime average cap
- 58 dB(A), Sec. 13-283
- Residential nighttime peak cap
- 78 dB(A) maximum
- Pure-tone/impulsive noise cut
- Additional 5 dB(A) reduction
- Enforcement section
- Noise offense, Sec. 13-278(a)(3)
- Maximum fine
- $2,000.00 per day, Sec. 1-8(c)
- Extraterritorial reach
- Enforceable 5,000 feet beyond city limits
Summary
Grand Prairie tightens its noise ceiling every night: Sec. 13-283 drops the residential average sound limit from 65 dB(A) daytime to 58 dB(A) between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., with the peak cap falling from 85 dB(A) to 78 dB(A). Exceeding the nighttime number is a Sec. 13-278(a)(3) noise-disturbance offense enforced citywide.
Nighttime: shall mean the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. ... Sec. 13-283. - Maximum permissible sound levels. (a)Except as modified by this section or specifically indicated, the following maximum and Leq sound levels shall apply to all property within a designated noise zone as provided in section 13-282: Noise Zone 1 (Residential) 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. 65 dB(A) 58 dB(A) 85 db(A) 78 dB(A) ... (b)When noise contains pure tone or is impulsive sound, the permissible average equivalent sound levels or maximum sound level shall be reduced by five (5) dB(A).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116).
Full Breakdown
Sec. , and Sec. 13-283(a) sets a separate, lower sound-level table for that window in each of the city's four noise zones established by Sec. 13-282. In Noise Zone 1, all residential property, the daytime average equivalent level (Leq) of 65 dB(A) and daytime maximum of 85 dB(A) drop to 58 dB(A) average and 78 dB(A) maximum overnight. m. Sec. 13-283(b) cuts the applicable limit by a further five dB(A) whenever the sound is a pure tone or impulsive noise, and subsection (c) makes the background sound level itself the standard if that background already exceeds the table.
Subsection (e) applies the more restrictive of two zones' standards when the source and the receiving property sit in different noise zones. A reading above these nighttime numbers is charged as a noise disturbance under Sec. 13-278(a)(3), on top of the separate presumptions in Sec. 13-277 for barking animals, stereos and construction. Listed exceptions in Sec. 13-280 cover emergency vehicles, city-sponsored events, school activities, and constitutionally protected speech. Under Sec. 13-287, the nighttime standard is enforceable not just inside the city but up to 5,000 feet beyond the corporate limits.
Violations & Fines
A nighttime sound-level violation is a misdemeanor under Sec. 13-285, fined under the citywide schedule in Sec. 1-8 up to $2,000.00 per act because noise offenses are treated as public-health violations, with each day of a continuing exceedance charged separately. The director can also order a noise-abatement study under Sec. 13-284, and obstructing a city noise inspector is a separate misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Grand Prairie's stricter nighttime noise limits start?
How loud can a residential neighborhood legally be at night in Grand Prairie?
Does a whining or humming noise get treated differently at night?
Can Grand Prairie cite someone for nighttime noise made just outside the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Prairie
How Grand Prairie compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Grand Prairie to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle quiet hours.