Austin, TX Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10pm weeknights, 10:30pm weekends
- Decibel cap
- 75 dBA at source typical
- Cost recovery
- Austin Code Sec. 9-2-19
- Cost-recovery window
- Second visit within 12 hours
- Enforcement
- APD plus Code Compliance
Summary
Austin Noise Ordinance Chapter 9-2 prohibits unreasonable noise after 10 p.m. on weeknights and 10:30 p.m. weekends; second-response loud-party calls within 12 hours trigger cost-recovery billing of the host plus class C misdemeanor citations.
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: ... (5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy; (6) fights with another in a public place.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 sets the residential nighttime quiet baseline at 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. APD measures sound at the property line; sustained levels above 75 dBA at the source or audible from the next residence violate the ordinance. The cost-recovery provision (Section 9-2-19) bills hosts and property owners for police response when officers must return within 12 hours of an initial warning, with charges typically running $300 to $500 plus officer time. Repeat offenses can result in property-owner notices and short-term-rental license review. Outdoor music venues in the Red River Cultural District operate under separate sound-management agreements with extended hours and decibel allowances.
Violations & Fines
First responses are typically warnings; second responses within 12 hours add cost-recovery billing of host or property owner plus class C citations under Section 9-2-2 with fines up to $500. Repeats can trigger STR or sound-permit review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Austin police really bill me for a loud party?
What time does Austin's noise ordinance start?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Austin
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Austin to another location·View the Texas public conduct overview
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