Noise FAQ
Answers to your questions about noisy neighbors.
» Are noisy neighbors breaking the law?
How should I approach my neighbor about a noise problem?
Can I sue a noisy neighbor?
Isn't my landlord supposed to keep noisy tenants quiet?
My neighbor's dog barks all the time, and it's driving me crazy. What can I do?
Are noisy neighbors breaking the law?
You bet. Almost every community prohibits excessive, unnecessary, and unreasonable noise, and police enforce these laws. To find your municipality's noise rules, look up the local ordinances.
| How to Find Local Ordinances and State Laws |
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You can probably find your local ordinances online. Most cities’ and counties’ website addresses follow these formats:
Your state website also may have links to cities and counties.
If your city’s website does not include the text of local ordinances, you may be able to find local laws on one of these sites:
If you don’t have success with the Internet, your local laws may be available at your local public library or the city or county law library (usually located near the courthouse). Your local public library or office of the city attorney, mayor, or city manager can provide information on local ordinances that cover noise, fences, trees, views and other common neighbor issues.
You also can search your state laws for noise regulations. You can find your state’s laws at Nolo's Legal Research Center or at FindLaw.
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Most local noise ordinances designate certain "quiet hours" -- for example, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and until 8 or 9 a.m. on weekends. So running a power mower may be perfectly acceptable at 10 a.m. on Saturday, but not at 7 a.m. Some universally disturbing sounds are commonly banned or restricted. For instance, most cities prohibit honking car horns unless there is danger. This means that the daily early morning tooting across the street for the carpool is a violation. Dogs and motorcycles may also be singled out.
Many towns also prohibit sustained noise that exceeds a certain decibel level. The decibel limits are set according to the time of day and the neighborhood zoning. When a neighbor complains, police place decibel level monitoring equipment on an estimated property line and take a reading.
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