Quiet hours in Rock County, WI — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Rock County does not maintain a countywide quiet-hours ordinance. Noise is regulated by each municipality (Janesville, Beloit, Edgerton, Evansville, Milton, and the towns) plus Wis. Stat. §947.01 (disorderly conduct), which applies countywide.
Rock County's Chapter 3 (Public Peace and Order) primarily addresses traffic, tobacco, and certain enumerated offenses; it does not establish countywide nighttime quiet hours or decibel limits for private noise. Counties in Wisconsin generally rely on municipal authority under Wis. Stat. §§62.23 (cities), 61.34 (villages), and 60.22-60.61 (towns) to set noise rules. The City of Janesville Code of Ordinances (Municode) and the City of Beloit Code regulate loud and unnecessary noise within their corporate limits, including amplified sound, construction hours, and animal noise. Outside city/village limits, Wis. Stat. §947.01 (disorderly conduct) remains available to Rock County Sheriff's deputies for conduct that is unreasonably loud and tends to provoke a disturbance. Residents reporting ongoing noise should call the agency with jurisdiction — Janesville PD, Beloit PD, or the Rock County Sheriff's Office for unincorporated areas.
Disorderly conduct under Wis. Stat. §947.01 is a Class B misdemeanor (up to 90 days jail and/or $1,000 fine) when charged criminally; many municipalities adopt a parallel ordinance forfeiture (typically $100-$500). City noise-ordinance forfeitures vary by municipality.
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See how Rock County's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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