Noise Ordinances in Iowa (2026)

Iowa City enforces its noise ordinance and a well-known disorderly house rule aimed at loud student rentals near…

Cedar Rapids bans noisy lawn mowers, chain saws, and solid-waste hauling equipment between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if the…

Davenport's nighttime hours run 10 PM to 7 AM. Residential property-line limits are 55 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime…

Des Moines residential zones face a stricter nighttime noise limit, 60 dBA and 50 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., under the…

Iowa City bars noise disturbances at all hours, not just at night. City code 6-4-2 makes it unlawful to cause plainly…

Unincorporated Polk County has no countywide decibel-based quiet-hours ordinance. Noise is handled as a nuisance and…

Sioux City's noise ordinance treats sound from musical instruments, engine repairs, model vehicles, and…

Construction tools are allowed daytime hours (7 AM to 10 PM) on weekdays and Saturdays. Nighttime, Sunday, and holiday…

Des Moines bans construction, drilling, and demolition noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. citywide, with narrow variances…

Construction equipment cannot run in Iowa City before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. without a permit from the city…

Construction noise from tools or equipment counts as a prohibited disturbance in Sioux City between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00…

Cedar Rapids bans animal noise, including barking, that unreasonably disturbs the peace for more than 15 minutes in an…

A dog that frequently or continuously barks so as to disturb neighbors across a residential property line violates…

Des Moines bans owning or keeping any animal or bird whose frequent, sustained sounds create a noise disturbance across…

Iowa City declares a noisy animal a public nuisance under City Code section 8-4-5(B): no owner may let an animal in…

Habitual barking, howling or yelping that disturbs a neighbor's peace is a county infraction in unincorporated Linn…

Sioux City, Iowa bars owners from letting an animal bark or howl continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for a…

In unincorporated Story County, a dog's prolonged or incessant howling, whining, or barking counts as a "nuisance"…

Des Moines exempts electric power tools and motor-powered, muffler-equipped lawn and garden equipment, leaf blowers…

Davenport has no leaf-blower ban. Gas and electric blowers are legal, but Sec. 8.19.070(M) prohibits running yard tools…

Iowa City does not allow amplified sound in residential areas except at churches and schools, and its disorderly house…

Sioux City makes it unlawful to run sound equipment that is plainly audible at a property line without a City-issued…

Playing a radio, TV, stereo, or other amplified sound equipment loud enough to create a "noise disturbance" - exceeding…

Amplified music, radios, and PA systems cannot create a noise disturbance across a property line at night or exceed the…

Des Moines requires a sound permit for amplified music or speech that creates a noise disturbance, capping most outdoor…

Amplified sound in Iowa City's City Plaza requires a title 10 permit, and amplified sound anywhere else that keeps…

Outdoor amphitheaters and stadiums in unincorporated Linn County must sit at least 500 feet from residentially zoned…

Outdoor events in unincorporated Polk County must meet the Polk County Noise Ordinance and obtain a sound permit if…

Story County doesn't set a countywide decibel limit for amplified sound, but any special event in the unincorporated…

Sioux City's Airport Protection overlay district can require an avigation easement near Siouxland Gateway Airport…

Aircraft-in-flight noise is regulated federally by the FAA, not by Polk County. The county's zoning code references a…

Iowa Code 657.11 grants animal feeding operations broad immunity from public and private nuisance suits, including…

Large gas-fired power plants and nuclear facilities in unincorporated Linn County can't exceed 55 dBA near homes (65…

Des Moines caps outdoor sound at the receiving property's boundary: 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime in residential…

Johnson County's zoning code sets numeric decibel caps only for specific conditional uses, not general residential…

Industrial and utility uses in unincorporated Polk County must keep noise from being excessive at the lot line, and…

Sioux City bans loud car stereos audible 50+ feet away without a sound equipment permit, and separately bans squealing…

Black Hawk County bans loud engine or compression brakes on any vehicle operated within the county under its Engine…

Cedar Rapids caps car stereo or amplifier noise from a vehicle at 86 dBA measured 25 feet away, and separately bans…

Des Moines caps car-stereo noise at 50 feet by day and 25 feet at night, and sets drive-by dBA limits by vehicle class…

Iowa City bans playing a car stereo loud enough to be heard 50 feet away, or across a property line, for more than 30…

Linn County requires all-terrain vehicles and off-road utility vehicles operating on county-designated roadways to…