Santa Fe, NM Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Santa Fe, NM, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 10-2.4(B)(3), Noise Ordinance, § 10-2 SFCC 1987
- Curfew hours
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Parked-vehicle test
- Audible at 50 feet (15 meters)
- Shared-wall test
- Audible through common partitions to a neighbor
- First-offense fine
- Up to $200
- Measurement standard
- A-weighted sound level meter, § 10-2.6
Summary
Between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., Santa Fe bars running a radio, TV, musical instrument, phonograph or similar device in a way that's plainly audible at the source property's boundary. Section 10-2.4(B)(3) SFCC 1987 also flags sound audible 50 feet from a parked vehicle, or through shared walls between two occupants, as a violation.
(3) Using, operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum or other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sound, except as provided for in subparagraph (4) below:(a) Which violates the zone district noise levels set out in subsection 10-2.5, or causes a noise disturbance; (b) Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day in such a manner as to be plainly audible at the property boundary of the source; or 1) Is plainly audible at fifty feet (50') or fifteen (15) meters from such device when operated within a vehicle parked on a public right-of-way; or 2) Is plainly audible through partitions common to two (2) occupants within a building or structure.
Full Breakdown
4(B)(3) of the Noise Ordinance, Section 10-2 SFCC 1987, bars using, operating, or permitting the use of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum or other sound-producing device in two overlapping ways. the following day, the device cannot be operated in a manner that's plainly audible at the property boundary of the source. That curfew is further defined by two specific tests: sound is treated as a violation if it's plainly audible at 50 feet or 15 meters from a device operated inside a vehicle parked on a public right-of-way, or if it's plainly audible through partitions common to two occupants inside the same building or structure, such as an apartment wall.
4(B)(15), which separately makes it a public nuisance to play a radio, boom box or similar device in a public street, park or parking facility audible from 25 feet, regardless of whether words are discernible. 6.
Violations & Fines
Running a radio, television, musical instrument or similar device audible at your property line between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., audible 50 feet from a parked vehicle, or audible through a shared wall to a neighbor, is a misdemeanor under Section 10-2.4(C). A first offense is fined up to $200, later offenses up to $500 each, with every night charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a nighttime noise curfew in Santa Fe?
How is 'plainly audible' measured for a parked car stereo?
Can I be cited for noise through an apartment wall?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Fe
How Santa Fe compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Santa Fe to another location·View the New Mexico noise ordinances overview
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