Noblesville, IN Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Noblesville, IN, 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
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Public property test
- Audible beyond 50 feet
- Private property test
- Audible past the property line
- Shared-wall test
- Audible across the unit boundary
- Penalty
- Up to $500 first offense (Comm/Ind)
Summary
Section 93.25(D) of the Noblesville Code bars playing or operating any radio, television, loudspeaker, musical instrument, or similar sound device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if the sound is plainly audible more than 50 feet away on public property, past the property line on private property, or across a shared wall in an apartment or condo.
(D) Nighttime use of machines and devices for producing or amplifying sound. Except as otherwise provided herein, it shall be unlawful to play, use, or operate, or permit to be played, used, or operated, any radio, television, digital media player, loudspeaker (electroacoustic transducer), sound amplifier, musical instrument, or other sound producing or amplifying machine or device when the use of such machine or device emits sound at any time between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and the sound is plainly audible to a person with normal hearing: (1) From a distance greater than fifty (50) feet from the machine or device producing or amplifying the sound when the machine or device producing or amplifying the sound is located on public property; (2) From a point no closer than the property line of private property when the machine or device producing or amplifying the sound is located on said private property; or (3) From the shared boundary between the residential units when the machine or device producing or amplifying the sound is located within an apartment complex or other shared-wall condominium/townhouse styled private residential structure.
Full Breakdown
§ 93.25(D), part of Noblesville's general noise chapter covering the city outside the Exhibit A area named in § 93.20, imposes a nighttime quiet-hours rule separate from the numeric decibel chart in § 93.25(C). Between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., it is unlawful to play, use, or operate, or permit anyone else to play, use, or operate, a radio, television, digital media player, loudspeaker, sound amplifier, musical instrument, or any other sound-producing or amplifying machine or device if the sound is plainly audible to a person with normal hearing under any of three tests: more than fifty feet away when the device is on public property; past the property line when it is on private property; or across the shared wall boundary between units when the device is inside an apartment complex or a shared-wall condominium or townhouse.
The rule targets audibility rather than a specific decibel reading, so a device can violate the curfew even if it would pass the daytime chart in § 93.25(C). Section 93.25(F) exempts certain nighttime sounds from this and the rest of § 93.25, including emergency vehicle sounds, properly muffled lawn equipment used only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., properly installed burglar alarms investigated and silenced within a reasonable time, and events authorized in writing by the Board of Public Works and Safety. Violations are enforced by a City Code Enforcement Officer or Noblesville Police Department officer under § 93.25(H) and fined under § 93.25(G).
Violations & Fines
Operating a radio, television, stereo, or other sound device that is plainly audible past the distances set in § 93.25(D) between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is fined under § 93.25(G): up to $500 for a first offense in a Commercial or Industrial district or $250 in a Residential district, escalating to $2,500 by a fourth offense within two years, with citations issued by a City Code Enforcement Officer or Noblesville Police Department officer under § 93.25(H).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play music loudly in my Noblesville backyard at night?
Does the nighttime rule apply in apartments and condos?
Are there exceptions to the 11 p.m. curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Noblesville
How Noblesville compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Noblesville to another location·View the Indiana noise ordinances overview
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