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Noise complaints › Bexar County
How to file a noise complaint in Bexar County
In unincorporated Bexar County, call the Sheriff's Office Dispatch non-emergency line, 210-335-6000, for a loud party or music happening now, and 911 for an emergency; the County's safety page says the Sheriff's Office handles all emergency and non-emergency situations in unincorporated Bexar County. None of the County pages we read mentions noise by name.
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Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Bexar County acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.
| Quiet hours | None found: state law applies at any hour |
|---|---|
| How it is enforced | Reasonableness under state law, no decibel limit |
| Emergencies | 911 |
| Ordinance | Texas Penal Code Section 42.01 (Disorderly Conduct) |
Where to file in Bexar County
In unincorporated Bexar County, call the Sheriff's Office Dispatch non-emergency line, 210-335-6000, for a loud party or music happening now, and 911 for an emergency; the County's safety page says the Sheriff's Office handles all emergency and non-emergency situations in unincorporated Bexar County. None of the County pages we read mentions noise by name. Because the 85-decibel presumption only starts after a peace officer or magistrate has told the person that the noise is a public nuisance, a warning matters: after it, noise above 85 decibels is presumed unreasonable. Disorderly conduct by unreasonable noise is a Class C misdemeanor (§ 42.01(d)), punishable by a fine of up to $500 (§ 12.23). Inside the city limits of San Antonio, call the San Antonio Police Department non-emergency line, 210-207-7273, which the County's page also lists; the city has its own noise ordinance (see the San Antonio page). In another city, the County's page points to the My Bexar Community Dashboard, where you enter your address to see the offices that serve you. Bexar County Code Compliance (Environmental Services, 210-335-6700) handles conditions in unincorporated areas that are visible from a public right-of-way, and the issues it lists are high weeds, rubbish, refuse, vectors such as mosquitoes and rats, blocked drainage easements and illegal dumping; noise is not listed, though the list is not closed. Its page says a complaint that is really a dispute between neighbors is referred to the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center (210-335-2128). Sources: https://www.bexar.org/228/Safety-Emergency-Information, https://www.bexar.org/770/Report-a-Crime, https://www.bexar.org/3393/Helpful-Phone-Numbers, https://www.bexar.org/3216/Code-Compliance, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=PE&chapter=PE.42&artSec=42.01 and https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=PE&chapter=PE.12&artSec=12.23.
From the county's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-04. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the county's main switchboard 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. Bexar County has no decibel limit, so the log is the main evidence, but a reading shows how loud it really was. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
- Check the rule. Quiet hours in Bexar County: None found: state law applies at any hour. The Bexar County 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 county does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.
What happens after you file
Noise reports often wait behind urgent calls, so a first call may not end 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 county 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 it nearby? The San Antonio 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 Bexar County?
In unincorporated Bexar County, call the Sheriff's Office Dispatch non-emergency line, 210-335-6000, for a loud party or music happening now, and 911 for an emergency; the County's safety page says the Sheriff's Office handles all emergency and non-emergency situations in unincorporated Bexar County.
What are the quiet hours in Bexar County?
None found: state law applies at any hour. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Bexar County noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Bexar County?
Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use the non-emergency police line or the department named above; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.
What evidence helps a noise complaint in Bexar County?
Bexar County has no decibel limit: the test is whether the noise is unreasonable, 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.
