Noise ordinances
are laws enforced by city or state governments to limit the amount of noise
above ambient levels that adversely affect those communities’ inhabitants.
Noise
ordinances may define the parameters such as sound levels, sound level limits,
duration and times in the day in which certain levels are permitted. Some
ordinances are very vague and up for interpretation with verbiage describing a
violation as any unwanted noise. Others are very specific using sound levels in
decibels, defining these decibel limits and the exact hours of the day that
these maximum levels will be tolerated without a violation. The maximum decibel
levels are typically lowered in the evening hours.
Violations of noise ordinances are typically reported to the police or law
enforcement that may visit the site, record sound level readings, issue fines,
and enforce that corrective action be obtained by the owner if the noise is an
ongoing nuisance.
Many small or rural communities will not have a noise ordinance in place, but in
more densely populated areas such as big cities, noise ordinances are an
extremely important part of the community’s health.