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Calgary noise bylaw: quiet hours, decibel limits and how to complain

Last updated: October 27, 2026

Quiet hours: day-time and night-time

Calgary's noise rules are in Part 8 of the Community Standards Bylaw, Bylaw 32M2023, which Council passed on July 4, 2023 to repeal and replace the old Bylaw 5M2004. Some City web pages still link the repealed 5M2004 text or print the number as 23M2023; the bylaw in force is 32M2023.

The bylaw splits each day into two periods. "Day-time" runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on a Weekend; "Night-time" is the rest, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., or to 9 a.m. when the next day is a Weekend (§ 1(2)(i), (aa)). A Weekday is "Monday through Saturday, inclusive unless it falls on a holiday", and a Weekend is "Sunday and any other holiday" (§ 1(2)(vv), (ww)). So Saturday follows the weekday hours, and night-time lasts until 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings and holidays.

Golf courses may use motorized garden tools and grass cutters from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (§ 29(1)). During the day-time, a garden tool falls outside the noise rules altogether if it stays at or under 75 dBA Leq over an hour and is used for less than 3 hours that day (§ 33(1)(c)). A "Motorized Garden Tool" is "any tool used for gardening that is powered" (§ 1(2)(z)).

Decibel limits

Sound levels are taken in A-weighted decibels (dBA) with a Type 2 or better integrating sound level meter, at a "Point of Reception": "any location at the place of work or residence where noise or Sound Levels are heard by a complainant" (§ 1(2)(hh), (rr), (ss)). The bylaw sorts sound into two kinds. "Continuous Sound" is sound that lasts "for a continuous duration of more than 3 minutes" or occurs "sporadically for a total of more than 3 minutes, in any continuous 15 minute time period" (§ 1(2)(h)). Anything else is "Non-Continuous Sound".

Leq is the average sound level over the measuring period, so a single short shout is unlikely to breach a limit. The bylaw does not say over what period the continuous-sound limits are averaged; the City's residential noise page describes them as measured over one hour. Where the background noise (the "Ambient Sound Level") is already at or above a continuous-sound limit, measured over 15 minutes, a sound must be more than 5 decibels above the background before it is an offence (§ 24(2), 25(3), 26(2), 32(2)). In non-residential areas the limit is 85 dBA or 5 dBA over the background, whichever is greater (§ 30(1)).

Section 25 says an air conditioner, fan, central vacuum or generator must not exceed "the greater of" 70 dBC Leq "measured during the Day-time" and 60 dBC Leq "measured during the Night-time". The day and night labels point to 70 by day and 60 at night, but read literally the wording could mean 70 dBC at any hour. These appliances are measured on the C-weighted scale, which counts the low hum that A-weighting discounts; see dBA vs dBC. "Downtown" is the area "bounded on the east by 3rd Street East, on the south by the CPR tracks, on the west by 9th Street West, and on the north by the Bow River" (§ 1(2)(m)). Homes there come under the Downtown limits, not the residential and air conditioner limits (§ 26(3)).

Noise that would disturb a reasonable person

Most neighbour complaints fall under the general rule in § 23(1): "no Person shall make or cause or allow to be made or continued any noise which would disturb or annoy a reasonable person." Owners and occupiers are responsible for noise that comes from their property (§ 23(2)), and for a vehicle on it, "including noise from excessive engine revving and stereo and amplification equipment in the vehicle" (§ 23(3), (4)). The registered owner is "ultimately responsible for all activities on the property which may constitute prohibitions of this Bylaw" (§ 1(3)). This rule applies at any hour and needs no reading: for a loud party, the City says "a decibel measure is not taken in this case."

The City handles barking under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, with its own complaint form. Church and school bells, emergency alarms, parade bands and vehicle horns used as warnings are not restricted (§ 33(3)), and the activities of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede are exempt during the Stampede (§ 33(1)(e)).

Construction hours

The bylaw sets no separate construction curfew. Instead, Part 8 does not apply to "Construction in Residential Developments during the Day-time, whether or not the Construction requires any City permits" (§ 33(1)(b)). Construction is defined broadly: "the temporary process of demolishing or building any Structure, or repairing or improving a Structure that already exists, including landscaping, home repair, property improvement and any work in connection with that process" (§ 1(2)(g)).

So building and renovation noise in a residential area is exempt from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Outside those hours it must meet every noise rule on this page, including the 50 dBA night limit for continuous sound and the ban on power tools used outdoors at night. The City can still apply the rules to a particular site during the day (§ 33(2)). Work on City streets and public utilities is exempt (§ 33(1)(d)).

A builder who needs to work outside these hours can ask for a temporary noise exemption permit (§ 34). The bylaw requires the application at least 5 business days before the work; the City's permit page asks for 7 to 30 days, says permits are free and last at most 14 days, and says private gatherings such as weddings or barbecues cannot get one.

Vehicle and motorcycle noise

Noise from vehicles on the street falls under the Calgary Traffic Bylaw 26M96: "A person must not make, continue, or allow to be made or continued any Objectionable Noise with a motor vehicle" (§ 51.4(1)). Objectionable Noise is "any sound caused by or emanating from a motor vehicle that annoys or disturbs any reasonable person" (§ 51.3(1)(b)). The bylaw lists examples: squealing tires, a modified part "that creates additional noise", "a roaring or explosive sound", a stereo, amplified voices running more than two minutes in one place, and a car alarm sounding for more than one minute or more than three times in 24 hours.

It also covers any motor vehicle capable of more than 92 dB(A) at idle, or more than 96 dB(A) at any higher engine speed, measured 50 centimetres from the exhaust outlet (§ 51.3(1)(b)(viii)). Motorcycles are motor vehicles under Alberta's Traffic Safety Act, whose definitions the bylaw adopts (§ 2(2)), so the same figures apply to them. An officer may tell the driver to start, rev or put the vehicle in gear while measuring, and refusing is an offence (§ 51.4(3), (4)). Trucks may not use engine retarder brakes unless needed for safety (§ 51). The City's web page summarises the rule as 96 decibels or more from a vehicle in motion; the bylaw's test is the one above.

For a vehicle making noise right now, the City says to contact the Calgary Police Service; for an ongoing problem, call 311.

How to complain

Call 311 in Calgary or 403-268-CITY (2489) from outside the city, use the 311 Calgary app, or file a non-animal noise complaint online; barking has its own form on the City's residential noise page. If the noise comes from criminal activity, or you want a party stopped right away, the City points you to the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234; in an emergency, dial 911. Have your name, address, two phone numbers, the exact location and a short description ready. "No anonymous complaints will be accepted", though the City says your information stays confidential.

Each complaint gets a file number and goes to a bylaw or peace officer, who visits the property. The City warns that "it can take several days before an initial visit occurs", and complaints with serious public safety implications come first. For noise, the City says "The focus is on resolving the issue through education." A property owner who does not comply "could be fined $250."

A reading helps your record but is not the evidence. Officers measure with a Type 2 or better integrating sound level meter, and for a loud party the City takes no reading at all; the reasonable-person test decides. The free online decibel meter runs in your browser and records nothing. It is an uncalibrated estimate of about ±10 dB, enough to tell 50 from 70 but not to settle whether 50 dBA was crossed. For a hum from a fan or generator, note whether it runs for more than 3 minutes in any 15, which makes it continuous sound under the bylaw. When noise recurs, the City asks you to note the issue, the dates, the location and the details; the noise complaints guide covers what to log.

Fines

Officers can issue a violation ticket for the specified penalty in Schedule A of the bylaw, which also sets a minimum penalty for each offence (§ 5). A second conviction for the same provision within 24 months carries a minimum of twice the specified penalty (§ 5(4)). On summary conviction the maximum is a $10,000 fine or imprisonment for up to one year, or both (§ 3(2)).

The City's own pages give other figures ($100 to $200 on its noise overview, $250 to $500 on its residential noise page); the amounts above are the ones in the bylaws, which control. The Traffic Bylaw's maximum on summary conviction is also $10,000 (§ 59).

Sources

Calgary Community Standards Bylaw 32M2023, office consolidation including amending bylaws 34M2023, 45M2023, 34M2024, 51M2024 and 27M2026 (the last dated July 29, 2026), Part 8 and Schedule A, read from the City's official consolidation on 2026-10-27. Calgary Traffic Bylaw 26M96, office consolidation to Bylaw 11M2025 (February 25, 2025), sections 2, 51 to 51.4 and 59 and Schedule A, read from the City's bylaw library the same day. The motorcycle and motor vehicle definitions from Alberta's Traffic Safety Act, current as of July 2, 2026. Complaint routes, enforcement notes and permit rules from the City of Calgary's pages on noise on residential properties, noise complaints, noise exemption permits and filing a bylaw complaint, read the same day. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; the bylaw controls wherever a City page differs, and these rules apply only within the City of Calgary.

What are the noise bylaw hours in Calgary?

Calgary's bylaw treats 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. as night-time, extended to 9 a.m. when the next day is a Sunday or holiday. Saturday counts as a weekday. At night, continuous sound at a home may not exceed 50 dBA, and in residential areas lawn mowers, motorized garden tools, snow and leaf blowers and power tools used outdoors are banned. The rule against noise that would disturb or annoy a reasonable person applies at all hours.

What is the decibel limit in the Calgary noise bylaw?

In residential areas, continuous sound (more than 3 minutes, or more than 3 minutes in total in any 15) is limited to 65 dBA Leq by day and 50 dBA at night, measured where the complainant lives or works. Shorter, non-continuous sound is limited to 85 dBA by day and 75 dBA at night over 15 minutes. Downtown, the continuous limits are 75 and 60 dBA. If background noise is already at or above a continuous-sound limit, a sound must exceed it by more than 5 dB.

What are construction noise hours in Calgary?

Construction in residential areas is exempt from the noise rules during the day-time: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Outside those hours it must meet the ordinary limits, including 50 dBA for continuous sound, and power tools may not be used outdoors. A builder who must work at night can apply to the City for a free noise exemption permit.

Does the Calgary noise bylaw cover air conditioners?

Yes. Section 25 sets 70 dBC Leq measured during the day-time and 60 dBC Leq measured during the night-time for an air conditioner, fan, central vacuum or generator making continuous sound, though its wording ("the greater of" the two) could be read as 70 dBC at any hour. It is measured where the complainant lives or works in a residential area. It uses C-weighting, which picks up low hum. Where background noise is already at that level, the unit must be more than 5 dBC above it. The specified penalty is $250.

How do I make a noise complaint in Calgary?

Call 311, or 403-268-CITY (2489) from outside Calgary, use the 311 Calgary app, or file a noise complaint online through the City's website. You must give your name and contact details; anonymous complaints are not accepted. For criminal activity or a party you need stopped now, call the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234, or 911 in an emergency. A first visit can take several days, so keep a dated log of the noise.

Noise bylaws in other Canadian cities

• Toronto
• Edmonton
• Vancouver
• Ottawa
• Winnipeg
• Hamilton
• Mississauga

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