Pittsburgh, PA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Pittsburgh, PA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Nighttime hours
- 10:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.
- Nighttime unamplified limit
- 55 dB(A)
- Daytime unamplified limit
- 65 dB(A)
- Amplified noise limit
- 75 dB(A), day or night
- Max fine
- $300 per offense
Summary
Pittsburgh's noise ordinance tightens at night. Unamplified sound reaching a neighbor's residential property is capped at 55 dB(A) between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., down from the 65 dB(A) daytime limit set by City Code.
No person shall transmit or cause to be transmitted any unamplified noise, which leaves the premises from which it originates, and enters any residential property... In excess of the noise levels specified below in Table A... Daytime: 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 65 dB(A) or 3 above background sound level, whichever is greater. Nighttime: 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. 55 dB(A) or 3 above background sound level, whichever is greater
Full Breakdown
Pittsburgh Code § 601.04(c) sets two decibel ceilings for unamplified noise crossing onto residential property: 65 dB(A) (or 3 dB above background, whichever is greater) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., dropping to 55 dB(A) at night, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. A separate table governs amplified noise (loudspeakers, stereos), capped at 75 dB(A) around the clock with no nighttime step-down. Noise that is 'clearly audible from a distance of seventy-five (75) feet' also violates the section regardless of what a meter reads. Police measure compliance with a Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meter at the receiving property line.
Violations & Fines
Up to $300 plus costs per offense, with up to 30 days' imprisonment if the fine goes unpaid; each violation is also declared a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pittsburgh have nighttime quiet hours?
Can I be cited without a decibel meter reading?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pittsburgh
How Pittsburgh compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Pittsburgh to another location·View the Pennsylvania noise ordinances overview
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