Topeka, KS Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Topeka's nighttime noise curfew sits in TMC § 9.45.190, part of Article II (Noise) of Chapter 9.45. Subsection (a) makes it unlawful to use or operate "any device capable of producing or amplifying sound in such manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of any person of reasonable sensibilities," a general ban that applies at any hour. Subsection (b) narrows that standard for nighttime: running any such device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so it is "audible at a distance of 50 feet from the premises, building, structure or vehicle in which the device is located" is "prima facie evidence of a violation." That 50-foot/overnight test does the practical enforcement work, letting an officer establish a violation from audibility alone during curfew hours instead of proving subjective disturbance case by case.

The curfew sits inside a broader noise article. TMC § 9.45.150 declares that loud, unnecessary or unusual noise is a growing problem harming public health, comfort and safety, and § 9.45.160 lists the factors used to judge any noise complaint under the article: volume, intensity, whether the noise is natural or unnatural, proximity to residences, the area's zoning and density, time of day, duration, and whether it recurs. TMC § 9.45.170 sets the article's general prohibition and lets the City Council authorize, by resolution, an occasional or infrequent use that doesn't offend the article's purpose. Ord. 19775, adopted October 23, 2012, enacted the current findings, standards, general-prohibition and curfew language as one package.

No penalty is printed in § 9.45.190 itself, so the citywide default in TMC § 9.05.020 and § 1.10.070 applies: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1.00 to $499.00, up to 179 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense.