City Approves New Noise Laws

Before Monday, the law just specified “excessive noise” as being unlawful. Now that term has been explained a little bit more in detail. Thanks to Charles Samuels. Here are some highlights. Personally, I don’t really mind too much what noise is made during normal hours of the day, it’s more the nighttime ones that I appreciate. […]

February 23, 2010; 8:11 AM • by Fan of the Fan

Before Monday, the law just specified “excessive noise” as being unlawful. Now that term has been explained a little bit more in detail. Thanks to Charles Samuels.

Here are some highlights. Personally, I don’t really mind too much what noise is made during normal hours of the day, it’s more the nighttime ones that I appreciate. I hope my neighbors are reading this. . .

Between 7am and 11pm you can’t play music, TV, etc. inside your home so loudly that it can be heard outside your home or 50 feet away from the device (stereo, computer, TV, etc.) (Note: the word “phonograph” was actually in the ordinance – they know it’s 2010, right?)
Between 11pm and 7am sound from such equipment (stereo, TV, etc.) can only be loud enough for the person playing it to hear it
Between midnight and 7am you can’t make noise in your home that can be heard in another home, apartment, etc.
It is unlawful to let an animal or bird be so loud that it can be heard at least once a minute for 10 straight minutes from a neighbor’s home or 50-feet from the barking dog, chirping bird, etc.
You can’t play your car radio so loudly that it can be heard 50 feet from your car
You can’t drive a car so beat-up that it rattles so loudly it can be heard 350 feet away from the car
You can’t honk your horn just to honk, it needs to be used as a warning of on-coming danger
You can’t make lots of noise taking out your trash between 10pm and 5am
You can’t make lots of noise doing yard work between 10pm and 7am
You can’t make lots of noise doing home improvement stuff between 7pm and 7am
There are exceptions to the noise rules like special permits, religious services, and sounds made by police cars.