New Braunfels, TX Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in New Braunfels, TX, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 85 dB(A), 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Nighttime limit
- 75 dB(A), all other hours
- Measurement point
- Nearest public right-of-way
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100.00 plus court costs
- Fourth+ offense fine
- Up to $500.00 plus court costs
- Extraterritorial reach
- Enforced within 5,000 feet of city limits
Summary
New Braunfels tightens its residential noise ceiling every night: sound measured at the nearest public right-of-way can run up to 85 decibels between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., but drops to 75 decibels the rest of the time. Exceeding either limit is prima facie evidence of a sound nuisance, and violators face fines that climb from $100.00 to $500.00 with repeat offenses.
(c)Maximum permissible sound levels. No person shall conduct, permit or allow any activity or sound source to produce a measurable sound that exceeds the applicable dB(A) level listed below when measured, subject to the exception stated for residential districts only, at the nearest public right-of-way to the offending residence or business:(1)Residential district.a.Up to 85 decibels from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.b.Up to 75 decibels at all other times. A police officer taking a noise measurement in a residential district may take the measurement from either the closest public right-of-way to the offending residence or with the consent of a complainant, may take the measurement from the property line of the complainant. (g)(1) Any person, firm, or corporation who violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine as proscribed below: a. A fine not to exceed $100.00 for the first offense plus court costs; d. A fine not to exceed $500.00 for the fourth and any subsequent offenses plus court costs.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 82-9(c) sets the city's maximum permissible sound levels, measured with a calibrated dB(A) meter at the nearest public right-of-way to the offending residence or business, or, with a complainant's consent, from the complainant's own property line. m. Any sound exceeding those dB(A) levels is declared prima facie evidence of a sound nuisance that unreasonably disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of others, and the general prohibition in subsection (d) extends enforcement to sounds unreasonably disturbing others within 5,000 feet of the city limits.
A police officer can take the reading from either the closest public right-of-way or, if the complainant agrees, from the complainant's property line, which affects how close the measurement point is to the actual noise source. 00 for a fourth offense and every one after that. The section also allows the city manager to grant hardship variances and gives a denied applicant the right to a city council hearing.
Violations & Fines
Producing sound above 85 dB(A) between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or above 75 dB(A) at any other time, in a residential district violates Sec. 82-9(c)(1) and (d). Fines run from up to $100.00 for a first offense to up to $500.00 for a fourth and later offenses under subsection (g), with each act and each day of continued violation charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does New Braunfels' nighttime noise limit start?
How is noise measured for a New Braunfels quiet-hours complaint?
What is the fine for a nighttime noise violation in New Braunfels?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Braunfels
How New Braunfels compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Texas rules heatmap·Compare New Braunfels to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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