St. Louis County, MO Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in St. Louis County, MO, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Code
- SLCRO §716.073
- Trigger
- Plainly audible at 50 ft
- Jurisdiction
- Countywide
- Enforcement
- St. Louis County PD
Summary
St. Louis County does not set fixed quiet hours; instead SLCRO §716.073 makes it unlawful at any time to play any radio, instrument, TV, or audio device at a volume that disturbs another person. Noise plainly audible more than 50 feet from the source is presumed a violation.
Sec. 716.073. — It is unlawful to play any radio, musical instrument, television, or music players such as a 'boombox,' tape cassette, or disc player at a volume that disturbs the peace of another person. … It is presumed that if the volume of the offending source is plainly audible to persons more than fifty (50) feet away from the source of the noise, a noise violation exists.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 716 of the St. Louis County Revised Ordinances (SLCRO), Peace, Order and Conduct, controls noise countywide rather than via timed quiet hours. SLCRO 716.073 (Public Disturbance of the Peace, Loud Noise) bans audio devices, shouting, singing, or noise-making at a volume that disturbs the peace; SLCRO 726.212 covers the same conduct as a domestic disturbance. The 50-foot 'plainly audible' threshold is the enforcement trigger. Chapter 625 (Noise Control Code) layers on dB(A) standards. Construction noise is treated separately; the 88 municipalities each set their own construction-hour rules.
Violations & Fines
Class C misdemeanor / county ordinance violation; fines up to $1,000 and/or up to 1 year in county jail per SLCRO 701.180 general penalty. Police-issued summons sends the matter to St. Louis County Municipal Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there set quiet hours like 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.?
How loud is too loud?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
How St. Louis County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
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