Portland, OR Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
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.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Core standard
- Plainly audible inside a dwelling
- Ambient limit at night
- Drops 5 dBA overnight
- Max civil penalty
- $5,000 per violation
- Enforcer
- City Administrator's Noise Control Officer
Summary
Portland bars running sound equipment between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it's plainly audible inside a neighboring dwelling, and separately cuts citywide ambient noise limits by 5 dBA overnight, backed by civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation.
Sound producing or reproducing equipment. Operating or permitting the use or operation of any device designed for sound production or reproduction in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance; or operating or permitting the operating or use of any such device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so as to be plainly audible within any dwelling unit that is not the source of sound...
Full Breakdown
Portland City Code Title 18 sets its nighttime noise curfew two ways rather than using the phrase "quiet hours." Section 18.12.020.B makes it a violation to operate any sound-producing or reproducing device between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. so that it's plainly audible inside a dwelling unit that isn't the source, regardless of decibel reading. Separately, Section 18.10.010 requires the ambient sound limits set in Figure 1 (55-75 dBA depending on zone) to drop 5 dBA during those same night hours. The City Administrator's Noise Control Officer enforces both provisions citywide.
Violations & Fines
Up to $5,000 civil penalty per violation under § 18.18.030; each incident and each day of continued noncompliance counts as a separate violation, enforced by the City Administrator's Noise Control Officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Portland have official "quiet hours"?
Do I need a decibel meter to have a valid noise complaint at night?
Who enforces Portland's nighttime noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
How Portland compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Portland to another location·View the Oregon noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Multnomah County handle quiet hours.