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How to file a noise complaint in Atlanta

Last updated: September 3, 2026

Official text: Code of Ordinances, City of Atlanta, Georgia, Part II, Chapter 74 (Environment), Article IV "Noise Control" (the Atlanta Noise Ordinance), Sections 74-129 through 74-137 (Ord. No. 2017-59(17-O-1555), § 2, 10-16-17; Ord. No. 2018-34(18-O-1414), 8-29-18; Supp. No. 107, Update 1, codified through Ord. No. 2026-30, 7-15-26).

Where to file in Atlanta

Noise complaints and noise disturbances are non-emergency calls: dial ATL311 (311 inside the city, 404-546-0311 outside) or the Atlanta Police Department non-emergency line rather than 911, per the city's "Make the Right Call" guidance; APD also takes non-emergency reports through its online request-for-dispatch portal (atlantaga.gov, ATL311 and "Make the Right Call").

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-09-03. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard or 311 can redirect you.

Before you call

1. 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.
2. Measure it if you can. Atlanta enforces mostly by audibility, so the log is the main evidence, but a reading shows how loud it really was. The free online decibel meter runs in your browser and records nothing.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in Atlanta are 11 p.m. – 7 a.m. Sun–Thu, midnight – 7 a.m. Fri–Sat: the 100-foot rule (Sec. 74-131(b)). The Atlanta noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
4. 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 Atlanta in general? The Atlanta 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 Atlanta?

Noise complaints and noise disturbances are non-emergency calls: dial ATL311 (311 inside the city, 404-546-0311 outside) or the Atlanta Police Department non-emergency line rather than 911, per the city's "Make the Right Call" guidance; APD also takes non-emergency reports through its online request-for-dispatch portal (atlantaga.gov, ATL311 and "Make the Right Call").

What are the quiet hours in Atlanta?

11 p.m. – 7 a.m. Sun–Thu, midnight – 7 a.m. Fri–Sat: the 100-foot rule (Sec. 74-131(b)). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Atlanta noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Atlanta?

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 Atlanta?

Atlanta enforces mostly by whether the sound is plainly audible at a set distance, so a log of dates, times, durations and where you could hear it from matters more than a meter reading, though a reading still helps.

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.