Vanderburgh County, IN Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Unlike many Indiana counties, Vanderburgh County has not enacted a stand-alone county noise ordinance with decibel thresholds for unincorporated areas. Indiana Code 36-7 grants counties zoning authority but state-level noise regulation rests on IC 35-45-1-3, which makes it a Class B misdemeanor to make 'unreasonable noise' and continue to do so after being asked to stop. Inside the City of Evansville, Municipal Code Chapter 9.30 (Regulation of Noise) replaced the older Chapter 10.30 sound-limitations code. Chapter 9.30 defines 'unreasonable noise' as sound that, given the time of day and environment, prohibits, disrupts, injures, or endangers the health, safety, welfare, comfort, or repose of reasonable persons of ordinary sensitivities. The chapter distinguishes 'weekday' (Sunday 7:00 a.m. through Friday 12:00 midnight) from 'weekend' (Friday midnight through Sunday 7:00 a.m.) and applies stricter standards in residential zones during nighttime hours. Sound measured at the property line is the baseline reference for enforcement, with a general 75 dB(A) threshold cited during council debate. The Evansville Environmental Protection Agency and Evansville Police Department enforce Chapter 9.30 inside city limits. The Evansville-Vanderburgh Unified Development Ordinance (Title 20, codified in 2024) contains performance standards for industrial and commercial zones, but does not set a residential decibel cap for unincorporated areas. Construction noise, barking dogs, and amplified outdoor music in unincorporated subdivisions are typically handled as disorderly conduct calls by VCSO.