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

Last updated: October 27, 2026

Quiet hours

Edmonton's noise rules are in Part III of the Community Standards Bylaw, Bylaw 14600. It took effect on April 1, 2008 and repealed the old Noise Bylaw 7255 (§ 55, 56); there is no separate noise bylaw today. The current text is the City's consolidation of March 17, 2026. The City's noise page still links the consolidation of October 22, 2024, but the noise and penalty sections read the same in both.

The bylaw has no single quiet-hours rule. The City sums it up as "Most noise is only permitted between 7am-10pm, 7 days a week." In the bylaw itself, what changes at 10 p.m. is mainly the decibel limit (the garbage collection curfew in § 17 and the daytime allowances also turn on 10 p.m.), which falls from 65 to 50 dB(A) at a residential property line until 7 a.m., while the rule against noise that "disturbs the peace of another individual" applies at any hour (§ 14). Only construction has different hours on Sundays and holidays.

A "holiday" in the bylaw means "January 1st, Alberta Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, July 1st, the first Monday in August, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, November 11th, and December 25th of every year" (§ 13(c)). The City's noise page says "Statutory Holidays"; the bylaw's list is the one that counts. The City also says grass cutting and snow removal fall under general noise and are "permitted between 7am-10pm".

Decibel limits

Sound is measured in A-weighted decibels, dB(A), "at the property line of a property zoned for residential use" (§ 19(1)), or of land zoned for other uses for the non-residential limits. A sound level meter, in the bylaw, is a Quest Technologies/3M 2100 or any other device that meets one of the standards it lists (§ 13(e)). The bylaw sets no averaging period: each limit applies to "any sound exceeding" it.

The limits apply to the person making the sound and to anyone who lets property they own or occupy be used that way (§ 19(2), 20(2), 21(2), 22(2)). If a motor vehicle makes the sound, its owner is liable unless they show they were not in it and nobody was driving it with their consent (§ 23).

Daytime allowances for louder sound

Between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., the limits do not apply to louder sound that lasts only a limited total time in one day (§ 19(3), 21(3)). There is no such allowance at night: the overnight limits of 50 and 60 dB(A) have no exceptions for short bursts.

Noise that disturbs the peace

Most neighbour complaints fall under § 14(1): "A person shall not cause or permit any noise that disturbs the peace of another individual." Owners and occupiers are also responsible for noise from their property (§ 14(2)). "Noise" means "any sound that is reasonably likely to disturb the peace of others" (§ 13(d)). A person can be found guilty "whether or not the decibel level" is measured or, if measured, is over a limit (§ 14(3)).

In deciding, the bylaw lets an officer or court consider the "type, volume, and duration of the sound", the "time of day and day of week", the "nature and use of the surrounding area", the "decibel level, if measured" and "any other relevant factor" (§ 15).

The City sends some kinds of noise elsewhere. Loud people and parties go to the Edmonton Police Service non-emergency line. Barking dogs fall under the Animal Care and Control Bylaw. For air conditioners, "The City will only accept and investigate complaints for units that are not mechanically sound (not running properly)", because, it says, most residential units exceed the bylaw's decibel limit as an industry standard.

Construction noise

Section 16 bans "any construction activity" on property a person owns or occupies before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. This is a ban on the work itself, whatever its volume. The City Manager can restrict a site further by written notice, after weighing such things as how close the neighbours are and past complaints (§ 16.1).

Within the permitted hours, construction must still meet the decibel limits unless it has a noise exemption permit (§ 24(b)). The City says permits are generally approved only for required activities, such as major construction or maintenance work, and for community events; they cost nothing, should be requested at least 7 days ahead and last at most 90 days. "Private functions such as wedding receptions, birthday parties and family gatherings do not qualify for an exemption and will not be granted a permit."

Vehicle and motorcycle noise

Vehicle noise is in the Traffic Bylaw 5590, in a section added by Bylaw 20364 of February 24, 2023. Section 90.1 bars anyone from operating a motorcycle "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. It also says "A person shall not create or cause the emission of any loud and unnecessary noise" from a vehicle or anything the vehicle comes into contact with. The fine is $1,000, doubled for a subsequent offence (§ 100(2)(g), (h)). Engine retarder brakes remain banned under the Community Standards Bylaw (§ 18).

The City's noise page also lists provincial rules under Alberta's Traffic Safety Act and puts the specified penalties across all of these at $162 to $1,000. Report vehicle noise to the police through the traffic concerns form.

How to complain

Call 311 in Edmonton or 780-442-5311 from outside the city (TTY 711). The City's Noise page directs noise complaints to 311; the online complaint list on its Bylaw Complaints Process page covers excessive dog barking but no other noise. For loud people or parties, the City says to call the Edmonton Police Service non-emergency complaint line at 780-423-4567. Vehicle noise goes to the police traffic concerns form.

The City suggests talking to your neighbour first. When you complain, give your name, address, phone number and details "in case your testimony is required in court". The City says an officer "investigates your complaint within 4 business days" and may give a warning with a deadline or issue a fine straight away. For privacy reasons it generally cannot tell you whether an inspection happened or what action was taken.

If an officer measures, it is with a sound level meter that meets the bylaw's standards, but the City says officers "are not required to take a reading" and that "Decibel readings obtained by Citizens are not reliable and may or may not be considered by the Officer." 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 the 50 dB(A) night limit was crossed. Use it near the property line to note roughly how loud the noise is and how long it runs, alongside what the City asks for: "the times, locations and types of noise involved". A dated record of repeated noise is what moves a complaint; the noise complaints guide covers what to log.

Fines

Tickets under the Community Standards Bylaw carry fixed fines (§ 43(2)). The fine doubles for any subsequent offence (§ 43(2)(f)), and an offence that continues counts as a separate offence for each day, or part of a day (§ 40). On conviction the fine can be up to $10,000, with imprisonment of up to six months for not paying it (§ 43(1)).

The City's noise exemption page gives the same range, $250 to $500, for the Community Standards Bylaw.

Sources

Edmonton Community Standards Bylaw 14600, consolidated on March 17, 2026 (last amended by Bylaw 21424), Part III, Part VI and sections 55 and 56, read from the City's official consolidation on 2026-10-27, and compared with the October 22, 2024 consolidation the City's noise page links (the noise and penalty sections are the same). Edmonton Traffic Bylaw 5590, consolidated on May 12, 2025, sections 90.1 and 100, read from the City's consolidation the same day. Complaint routes, enforcement notes and permit rules from the City of Edmonton's Noise page (updated September 10, 2026), Noise Exemption Permits page (April 14, 2026) and Bylaw Complaints Process page (October 27, 2026), 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 Edmonton.

What are the noise bylaw hours in Edmonton?

The City says most noise is only permitted from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. In the bylaw, sound at a residential property line may reach 65 dB(A) in that window but only 50 dB(A) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and noise that disturbs another person's peace is banned at any hour. Construction has its own hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

What is the residential noise bylaw in Edmonton?

Bylaw 14600, the Community Standards Bylaw, limits sound measured at the property line of residential land to 65 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dB(A) overnight. By day, louder sound is allowed for short totals: 70 dB(A) for two hours a day, up to 85 dB(A) for 15 minutes. Separately, any noise that disturbs the peace of another person is an offence whether or not anyone measures it.

What are the construction noise hours in Edmonton?

Construction activity is banned before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on Sundays and the holidays the bylaw lists. The fine on a ticket is $500, or $1,000 for a subsequent offence. The City can set tighter hours for a site by written notice, and can allow louder or after-hours work through a noise exemption permit.

Is the Edmonton noise bylaw different on weekends?

Mostly not. The 65 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) overnight limits, and the 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. switch between them, are the same every day of the week, and Saturday is an ordinary day. The only weekend change is for construction: on Sundays and holidays it may run only from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., instead of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

How do I make a noise complaint in Edmonton?

Call 311, or 780-442-5311 from outside Edmonton. For loud people or parties, the City sends you to the Edmonton Police Service non-emergency line at 780-423-4567, and vehicle noise goes to the police traffic concerns form. Give your name, address, phone number and details. The City says an officer investigates within 4 business days, and it asks for notes on the times, locations and types of noise.

Noise bylaws in other Canadian cities

• Toronto
• Calgary
• Vancouver
• Ottawa
• Winnipeg
• Hamilton
• Mississauga

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