Summit County, OH Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Summit County, OH, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Night hours (weekdays)
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Night hours (weekends/holidays)
- 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- First offense
- Warning to desist only
- Repeat offense
- 4th-degree misdemeanor, up to $250
- Applies to
- All townships, villages, cities countywide
- Construction exemption
- 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Refuse collection exemption
- 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Summary
Summit County's noise nuisance code sets 'night time' as 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays. During those hours, loud radios, yelling, sporting equipment, and vehicle stereos that disturb a reasonable person of normal sensitivity violate Sec. 509.08, enforced by the law enforcement officer of the political subdivision where the complaint originates.
(6) Night time means the hours from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. weekdays and 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. weekends and holidays. ... (f) Penalties. (1) Any person who is found to be in violation of this Noise Nuisance Code shall be issued a warning and a request to desist from a law enforcement officer. If the offender persists in creating a noise nuisance after reasonable warning or request to desist from a law enforcement officer, creating a noise nuisance is a minor misdemeanor. (2) Any subsequent violation of this Noise Nuisance Code shall be creating a noise nuisance, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree and may result in fines up to $250.00.
Full Breakdown
Sec. m. on weekends and holidays, and a 'nuisance' is sound that annoys or offends, obstructs the use of property, endangers the comfort or safety of others, or interferes with the ambient sound level of a given property. Subsection (b) bars, countywide, the frequent and habitual use of radios, stereos, musical instruments, loudspeakers, yelling, whistling, dirt bikes, ATVs and firearms that disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of a reasonable person of normal sensitivity. When a complaint is filed, Sec. 08(d) directs the law enforcement officer of the local political subdivision at the source of the complaint to investigate, weighing eleven factors that include the proximity of the noise to residential sleeping facilities and the time of day or night the noise occurs, so a late-night complaint gets closer scrutiny than the identical sound at midday.
A sound level meter can be used but is not required for a citation. quiet-hours start. Sec. 08(g) applies the whole section in all townships, villages and municipal corporations within the County of Summit, while letting any municipality layer on its own separate noise rule. The ordinance traces to Ord. 2005-558, adopted January 9, 2006.
Violations & Fines
A first violation draws only a warning and a request to desist from a law enforcement officer under Sec. 509.08(f)(1); persisting after that warning makes creating a noise nuisance a minor misdemeanor. Any later violation is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree carrying fines up to $250.00, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense, and sound equipment involved subject to seizure and forfeiture under Ohio R.C. 2933.41 through 2933.43.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours count as 'night time' under Summit County's noise code?
Does the countywide quiet-hours rule apply inside Akron or Cuyahoga Falls?
What happens on a first nighttime noise complaint?
Can police seize speakers or stereo equipment for a noise violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Summit County
How Summit County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Summit County to another location·View the Ohio noise ordinances overview
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