Sioux Falls, SD Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Sioux Falls, SD, 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
- 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Residential nighttime cap
- 55 dB(A)
- Noise-sensitive zone nighttime cap
- 50 dB(A)
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 30 days jail
Summary
Sioux Falls bans plainly audible sound devices and sets lower decibel caps citywide between 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Using, operating or allowing the use or operation of any device between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day in a manner as to be plainly audible at the property boundary of the source or plainly audible at 50 feet from the device when operated within a vehicle parked on a public right-of-way or plainly audible at 100 feet from the device when operated within a moving vehicle.
(3) Public loudspeakers. Using, operating or allowing the use or operation of a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a fixed or movable position or mounted upon any sound vehicle in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, park, place or public property for the purpose of commercial advertising, giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, lectures or transmitting music to any persons or assemblages of persons in a manner as to violate §
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code makes it unlawful to operate a radio, TV, stereo or similar device between 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. if it's plainly audible at the property line, or 50 feet from a parked vehicle, or 100 feet from a moving one. Section 93.003's use-district table also drops the allowed sound level after 10:30 p.m., residential caps fall from 60 to 55 dB(A), and noise-sensitive zones from 60 to 50 dB(A), until 6:00 a.m. Loading/unloading and model rockets face the same 10:30 p.m.-6:00 a.m. cutoff.
Violations & Fines
Fine up to $500 and/or up to 30 days in county jail under the Code's general penalty; each day of continuing violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a quiet-hours violation in Sioux Falls?
Do decibel limits change at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
How Sioux Falls compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Sioux Falls to another location·View the South Dakota noise ordinances overview
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