Lee's Summit, MO Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Lee's Summit, MO, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily
- Enforcing officer
- Police Department Noise Control Officer
- Daytime construction limit
- 65 dba at property boundary
- Maximum fine
- $500 fine or 90 days jail
- Variance authority
- Chief of Police, Sec. 17-255
- Noise-sensitive zones
- schools, libraries, churches, hospitals, nursing homes
Summary
Lee's Summit bans noise disturbances between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under City Code Sec. 17-254, covering amplified sound, loudspeakers, loading and unloading, and construction equipment across residential property lines or within designated noise-sensitive zones. The Police Department's Noise Control Officer enforces the curfew, and violators face fines up to $500 or 90 days in jail.
No person shall unreasonably make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any noise disturbance. (Noncommercial public speaking and public assembly activities...shall be exempt from the operation of this article.) ... Operating...any radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier or similar device which produces, reproduces, or amplifies sound... Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or within a noise sensitive zone (except for activities open to the public and for which a permit has been issued by the City). ... Tools or equipment...used in construction, drilling or demolition work...Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day, seven (7) days a week, such that the sound therefrom creates a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or within a noise sensitive zone, except for emergency work of public service utilities or by special variance issued pursuant to Subsection 17-255.1.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 | Unified Development Ordinance: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
Section 17-254(A) sets the baseline: "No person shall unreasonably make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any noise disturbance," with a carve-out for noncommercial public speaking and assembly on public property. the following day. Radios, televisions, phonographs, drums, musical instruments, sound amplifiers and similar devices may not create a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or inside a designated noise-sensitive zone during those hours, and the same window blocks noncommercial loudspeaker and public-address use across a residential boundary or noise-sensitive zone. seven days a week unless the work is emergency utility work or covered by a Chief of Police special variance issued under Sec.
17-255. Daytime construction noise is still capped at 65 dba at a property boundary. Noise-sensitive zones are areas the Council designates around schools, public libraries, churches, hospitals and nursing homes to guarantee exceptional quiet, per Sec. 17-253(C). The Noise Control Officer, appointed by the Chief of Police, investigates complaints and can enter property to test sound levels with the owner's consent or a search warrant. Anyone needing relief from the curfew, such as an all-night construction job, must apply to the Chief of Police for a special variance before starting work.
Violations & Fines
Violating the curfew is a misdemeanor ordinance violation under Sec. 17-259, punished under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-13(A): a fine up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each night of continued noise counted as a separate offense. Lee's Summit Municipal Court fines are capped under RSMo 479.353 at $200 for a first offense, rising to $275, $350 and $450 for repeat violations within twelve months. The City Attorney may additionally pursue an injunction to abate a continuing violation as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours are covered by Lee's Summit's noise curfew?
Can I get permission to work past 10 p.m.?
What happens if my neighbor calls the police about nighttime noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee's Summit
How Lee's Summit compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Lee's Summit to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle quiet hours.