Quiet hours in Portland, OR — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Portland City Code Title 18 (Noise Control) sets quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily, with stricter residential sound limits during those hours. Daytime maximum sound at a residential property line is 75 dBA; nighttime is 60 dBA. The Portland Noise Office in the Bureau of Development Services administers permits and complaints.
PCC 18.10.010 establishes the Noise Control Program and applies citywide. PCC 18.10.020 sets the standard residential sound limits: 75 dBA at the property line from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and 60 dBA from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., measured at the receiving property. PCC 18.12 (Specific Noise Standards) governs specific activities — construction is generally permitted only 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends, with construction outside those hours requiring a noise variance from the Noise Review Board. Amplified sound (parties, music) is presumed unreasonable after 10:00 p.m. if audible 100 feet from the property line, and PCC 18.12.020 caps unamplified human voices at the same property-line dBA. Power equipment such as leaf blowers, chainsaws, and lawn mowers is prohibited 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The Portland Noise Office, part of the Bureau of Development Services (BDS), accepts complaints online at portland.gov/bds/noise. Routine complaints are handled by BDS noise inspectors; loud parties and immediate disturbances after-hours are referred to the Portland Police Bureau non-emergency line. Variances and special permits (concerts, late construction) are reviewed by the seven-member Noise Review Board.
Civil penalties under PCC 18.16 start at $150 for a first violation and escalate to $250 and $500 for repeat offenses within one year. Construction outside permitted hours without a variance may also trigger a stop-work order from BDS. Amplified-sound and party complaints after 10:00 p.m. are handled by the Portland Police with discretion to issue citations under PCC 14A.30 (Disorderly Conduct) in addition to noise penalties.
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