Noise from Specific Sources in Colorado (2026)
28 rules on the books across Colorado, 14 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Noise limits for air conditioners, heat pumps, pool equipment, and other mechanical systems, including decibel thresholds measured at the property line.
Arvada
Some RestrictionsArvada requires every air conditioning compressor to be completely screened and any rooftop, wall- or ground-mounted…
Read full rule →Commerce City
Some RestrictionsCommercial and multi-family buildings in Commerce City must screen rooftop, wall and ground mounted HVAC equipment on…
Read full rule →Mesa County
Some RestrictionsMesa County does not set a decibel limit for HVAC units, but it does require them to disappear into the site design…
Read full rule →Bar & Nightclub Noise
Noise regulations specific to bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues, including bass frequency limits, soundproofing requirements, and complaint procedures.
Weld County
Significant RestrictionsWeld County's Board of County Commissioners, acting as the local liquor licensing authority, can refuse to renew a bar…
Read full rule →Arvada
Some RestrictionsArvada bars, taverns and nightclubs next to a residential use cannot let exterior noise, including patio speakers and…
Read full rule →Aurora
Some RestrictionsAurora caps loudspeaker and amplified music from bars and nightclubs by decibel and bans PA/loudspeaker use near homes…
Read full rule →Denver
Some RestrictionsDenver caps commercial noise, including from bars and nightclubs, at 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) overnight where it…
Read full rule →Greeley
Some RestrictionsBars, nightclubs and other enclosed entertainment venues in Greeley cannot run amplified sound loud enough to exceed…
Read full rule →Car Alarm Limits
Maximum duration for car alarms before they must auto-silence, penalties for repeated false alarms, and vehicle towing authority for chronic alarm violations.
Denver
Some RestrictionsDenver treats a car alarm audible outside the vehicle as an unlawful nuisance if it runs past fifteen minutes or trips…
Read full rule →Greeley
Some RestrictionsGreeley makes it unlawful to sound a vehicle horn or audible signaling device, the category car alarms fall under, for…
Read full rule →Loveland
Some RestrictionsLoveland's noise code makes the continuous or repeated sounding of a vehicle horn or alarm signal device, other than as…
Read full rule →Broomfield
Light RestrictionsBroomfield's noise ordinance exempts sirens, whistles, bells and alarm systems used for emergencies, collisions, police…
Read full rule →Arvada
Few RestrictionsArvada's alarm ordinance, which charges alarm users an administrative fee for false alarms police respond to, expressly…
Read full rule →Longmont
Few RestrictionsLongmont exempts car alarms from its noise ordinance. Section 10.20.100.D.5.i excuses warning or alarm devices that…
Read full rule →Generator Noise
Rules for portable and standby generators, including permitted operating hours, decibel limits, and restrictions during non-emergency use.
Arvada
Some RestrictionsArvada's code never names generators, but a generator is a stationary noise source under § 38-34, so § 38-91 caps its…
Read full rule →Aurora
Some RestrictionsAurora has no generator-specific noise rule. Generator and other equipment noise is measured against the UDO's citywide…
Read full rule →Denver
Some RestrictionsDenver limits routine testing of emergency backup generators to 88 dB(A) measured at 25 feet or the property line…
Read full rule →Littleton
Some RestrictionsLittleton treats a stationary generator as regulated machinery under its noise control ordinance. Running a generator…
Read full rule →Mesa County
Some RestrictionsGenerators run at an RV or camp site on a Mesa County residential lot can't operate between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., must…
Read full rule →Pueblo
Some RestrictionsRunning a standby generator in Pueblo for non-emergency purposes caps out at 70 decibels at the property line, 80 in…
Read full rule →Delivery Truck Noise
Time-of-day restrictions on commercial delivery trucks operating in residential zones, including back-up beepers, refrigeration units, and engine idling.
Mesa County
Significant RestrictionsMesa County bans nighttime delivery, loading and trash-removal noise at commercial and multi-family sites unless the…
Read full rule →Arvada
Some RestrictionsArvada makes it unlawful to load, unload, or handle boxes, crates, or containers, including garbage containers, in a…
Read full rule →Aurora
Some RestrictionsAurora caps diesel truck idling at 15 minutes per hour citywide and sets decibel limits by adjacent zone, covering…
Read full rule →Broomfield
Some RestrictionsBroomfield caps compactor truck loading and unloading noise at 88 dB(A) and bans all trash, rubbish, or garbage…
Read full rule →Denver
Some RestrictionsDenver's noise code exempts delivery and delivery activities between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. from the sound pressure…
Read full rule →Lakewood
Some RestrictionsLakewood bars loading or unloading any garbage, trash or compactor truck within 300 feet of a home on Sundays…
Read full rule →Longmont
Some RestrictionsLongmont Municipal Code § 10.20.100(D)(2) bars truck or rail loading and unloading within 250 feet of a residential lot…
Read full rule →Low-Frequency Bass Limits
Special bass-frequency (≤125 Hz) sound limits for venues, including dB(C) measurement standards and how cities differentiate bass noise from baseline ambient.