Providence, RI Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Providence, RI, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours window
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Residential noise cap (night)
- 55 dBA (65 dBA daytime)
- Vocal noise threshold
- Audible 100 ft for 10+ seconds
- First-offense penalty
- Up to $500 fine
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 16-93, 16-94
Summary
Providence bans loud yelling, singing, or amplified vocals in residential zones between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when audible for more than ten seconds at 100 feet, and drops the general residential noise cap to 55 dBA overnight.
No person shall yell, laugh, hoot, holler, scream, sing, or otherwise amplify their vocals in a residential zone of the city between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. at such a volume that it is plainly audible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet from its source for a duration of longer than ten (10) seconds. However, nothing in this provision or this article shall apply to vocalization or the emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency. (Ord. 2014, ch. 2014-6, § 1, 3-28-14)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 16-94(b), yelling, singing, hooting, or otherwise amplifying your voice in a residential zone between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is illegal once it carries plainly audible for more than ten seconds at 100 feet, emergency alerts are exempted. The companion sound-level table in § 16-93(c) reinforces the same curfew: the residential noise ceiling drops from 65 dBA daytime to 55 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. Any resident, including a police officer, can file a complaint under § 16-109, and two convictions at one address within three years brands it a "disorderly house" under § 16-95.
Violations & Fines
First offense fines up to $500 (or $200 if you plead guilty by mail); a second violation runs $300, and repeat violations can brand the property a disorderly house.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Providence have a citywide noise curfew?
What happens if a residence violates the noise curfew twice?
Is construction noise covered by the same curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Providence
How Providence compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Providence to another location·View the Rhode Island noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle quiet hours.