Sedona, AZ Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Sedona, AZ, 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
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Maximum fine
- $2,500 per offense
- Maximum jail term
- 6 months
- Charge classification
- Class 1 misdemeanor
- Enforcing agency
- Police chief / code enforcement
- Governing section
- SCC 8.25.060
Summary
Sedona bans loud, disturbing noise in residential areas between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and separately outlaws any unnecessary or offensive noise in those areas at any hour if it disturbs a neighbor's peace. Unlike most of Sedona's noise code, a violation of this residential rule is a criminal class 1 misdemeanor, not a civil fine, carrying up to $2,500 and six months in jail.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, and in addition thereto, it shall be unlawful in residential areas for any person without justification to make or continue, or cause or permit to be made or continued, any unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise, which disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person residing in the area. ... it shall be unlawful in residential areas for any person without justification to yell, shout, make unreasonably loud and disturbing noise, or allow any such noises to occur on one’s property, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time so as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of a reasonable person of ordinary sensitivity. ... Any person found guilty of violating SCC 8.25.060 shall be guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $2,500 or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues is a separate offense punishable as set forth herein or by civil sanction.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).
Full Breakdown
050. Subsection (A) bars any person from making or continuing 'unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise' in a residential area at any time of day if it disturbs the peace of a neighborhood or causes discomfort to a reasonable resident, with no time window at all. , yelling, shouting or any unreasonably loud and disturbing noise on one's property is unlawful, and the ordinance defines that phrase as noise detrimental to health or well-being or disruptive of the public peace, expressly excluding disputes based on the content of speech rather than volume, duration, location or timing.
Subsection (C) lists 14 factors an officer or judge weighs in deciding whether a violation occurred, including the noise's volume, intensity, natural or unnatural origin, proximity to sleeping facilities, the zoning and density of the area, time of day, duration, and whether it is recurrent, commercial, pure-tone or impulsive. Subsection (D) allows the case to be built from officer observations, witness statements, photographs, video or audio recordings, or data from a noise-measuring app or a resident's noise nuisance log. 050.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under SCC 8.25.060 is a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $2,500, up to six months in jail, or both, and each day the noise continues is charged as a separate offense. The police chief and code enforcement officers enforce the chapter, and SCC 8.25.070(C) lets them seek voluntary compliance through a warning, notice or education before pursuing a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Sedona's noise curfew cover?
Can I be cited for noise outside the 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. window?
What penalty does a noise curfew violation carry in Sedona?
How does the city prove a noise violation?
Who investigates residential noise complaints in Sedona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedona
How Sedona compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Sedona to another location·View the Arizona noise ordinances overview
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