How to file a noise complaint in Albuquerque

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Albuquerque acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Albuquerque noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (50 dBA indoors); construction near homes 10 p.m. – 6 a.m., Sundays: permit
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Albuquerque Code of Ordinances

Official text: Albuquerque Code of Ordinances, Chapter 9 "Health, Safety and Sanitation," Article 9 "Noise Control" (cited as the "Noise Control Ordinance"), §§ 9-9-1 through 9-9-12 ('74 Code, § 6-22; Ord. 21-1975, as amended by Ord. 30-1981, Ord. 9-2001, Ord. 5-2002, Ord. 42-2007, Ord. 2017-002 and Ord. 2017-025; §§ 9-9-6 and 9-9-11 last amended by Ord. 2023-015): 9-9-2 definitions (daytime, nighttime, "persistently or continuously," zoning-based premises), 9-9-3 decibel measurement criteria, 9-9-4 general noise (Table 1 A-weighted, Table 2 C-weighted, animals, construction), 9-9-5 temporary permits for amplified sound or construction noise, 9-9-6 variances, 9-9-7 machinery, equipment, fans and air conditioners (power-equipment hours), 9-9-8 exceptions and exclusions, 9-9-9 administration, 9-9-10 noise mitigation plans, 9-9-11 civil violations and penalties, 9-9-12 other ordinances preserved; Chapter 12 "Criminal Code," § 12-2-4 "Unreasonable noise" ('74 Code, § 12-1-2-4; Ord. 96-1973; Am. Ord. 78-1978), punished under § 12-1-99 and the general penalty in § 1-1-99. Text read on American Legal Publishing (the City's code host) on 2026-10-01..

Where to file in Albuquerque

Per cabq.gov, Environmental Health "Noise Permits" page (section "How to File a Noise Complaint"): during business hours call 311; for after-hours complaints (after 5 p.m. on weekdays, weekends and holidays) or anything needing immediate help, call the Albuquerque Police Department non-emergency number, 505-242-COPS (2677). Give a description of the noise, your contact information, the source location, and the time, date and duration; the page notes that measurements need not be taken at the moment of the complaint and that Environmental Health can usually evaluate it during business hours. The "Frequently Asked Questions About Noise" page routes car alarms, loud car stereos, mufflers, motorcycles and idling trucks to APD at 505-242-COPS (2677), barking dogs to the online form or 311, bars and restaurants with live music to 311, and aircraft to the Albuquerque Sunport at 505-842-2007, suggests free mediation through the City's Office of Diversity and Human Rights for neighbor music, and warns that anonymous complaints allow "little enforcement action" because measurements must occur on the affected property. Environmental Health Department: 505-768-2738, or dial 311 (505-768-2000); noise permits are free and applied for through ABQ-PLAN, questions to 505-768-4234. Penalties under Article 9 are civil and fall on the owner of the offending property: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third or later offense within 36 consecutive months, each calendar day a separate offense, with a hearing available on written request within ten days of the mailed Notice of Violation and an injunction available to the Mayor (9-9-11). The Criminal Code offense (12-2-4) is prosecuted under § 1-1-99: a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-01. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard or 311 can redirect you.

Before you call

Log it. Date, start and end time, what the noise was and where you heard it from. Three dated entries carry more weight than one angry call.
Measure it if you can. Albuquerque sets measured limits, so a reading near the limit is direct evidence. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
Check the rule. Quiet hours in Albuquerque are 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (50 dBA indoors); construction near homes 10 p.m. – 6 a.m., Sundays: permit. The Albuquerque noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
Try the source once. A neighbour, landlord or venue manager often fixes it faster than the city does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.

What happens after you file

Non-emergency noise reports are queued, not dispatched, so a first call rarely ends the noise that night. What it does is start a record against the address. Repeated reports, a dated log and a reading are what move a case from a warning to a citation. Where the city needs an officer to witness the noise, as most audibility rules require, file while it is happening rather than the next morning.

How loud is Albuquerque in general? The Albuquerque noise map shows the federal transportation-noise data for every neighbourhood, and the apartment quiet hours page compares every city's night rule.

Who do I call for a noise complaint in Albuquerque?

What are the quiet hours in Albuquerque?

10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (50 dBA indoors); construction near homes 10 p.m. – 6 a.m., Sundays: permit. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Albuquerque noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Albuquerque?

Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use 311 or the non-emergency police line; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.

What evidence helps a noise complaint in Albuquerque?

Albuquerque uses both decibel limits and audibility rules, so keep a dated log and take readings when you can; which rule applies depends on the source of the noise.

This page is a plain-language guide to the reporting route, not legal advice. Ordinances and contact numbers get amended; check the linked official sources before relying on a specific provision.