Quiet hours in Washtenaw County, MI — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Washtenaw County, MI does not set residential quiet hours. Under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (MCL 125.3101 et seq.), noise regulation is delegated to the cities, villages, and townships - including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, and Milan. The state criminal fallback is MCL 750.170 (disturbing the peace), a 90-day misdemeanor. Ann Arbor City Code Chapter 119 (Noise Control) prohibits sound audible past the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with violations carrying up to a $500 fine. Industrial sources are regulated by EGLE under Part 18 of NREPA. Call your local police non-emergency line - not the County - for residential noise complaints.
Washtenaw County does not adopt residential nuisance ordinances. Under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (MCL 125.3101 et seq.), zoning and nuisance authority is delegated to cities, villages, and townships - not counties. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office (734-971-8400) supports local agencies in unincorporated areas, but each municipality (Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Milan, Pittsfield Township, Scio Township, Ypsilanti Township, Ann Arbor Township, Superior Township, Northfield Township, etc.) sets its own noise rules. The statewide criminal fallback is MCL 750.170 (Michigan Penal Code), which makes 'disturbing the public peace and quiet' a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine. Ann Arbor City Code Title IX, Chapter 119 (Noise Control) is the most detailed in the county - it prohibits sound audible beyond the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., bans operation of power tools, lawn equipment, radios, televisions, drums, and similar devices during those hours, and sets maximum decibel levels by district during the day. Ypsilanti, Saline, and the townships have substantively similar ordinances. Construction noise, leaf blowers, barking dogs, and motor vehicle noise are addressed in each municipality's separate ordinances or in Michigan Vehicle Code MCL 257.707c (motor vehicle noise limits). Industrial and commercial stationary sources are regulated by EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) under Part 18 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA).
Violations of MCL 750.170 (disturbing the peace) are misdemeanors prosecuted in the local district court, with up to 90 days in jail and a $100 fine. Ann Arbor Code Chapter 119 violations carry a maximum penalty of $500 per offense, prosecuted as municipal civil infractions or misdemeanors in the 15th District Court. Ypsilanti and Saline ordinance violations are typically civil infractions with fines of $100-$500. Industrial sources cited under EGLE Part 18 of NREPA can face administrative penalties and abatement orders. Residential complaints in Ann Arbor go to AAPD non-emergency at 734-994-2911; in Ypsilanti, call YPD at 734-483-9510. Do not call Washtenaw County for residential noise.
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