How to file a noise complaint in Boise

Last updated: October 21, 2026

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

Boise noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	No quiet hours; the audibility tests apply at all hours
How it is enforced	Audibility, no general decibel limit
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Boise City Code

Official text: Boise City Code, Title 5 "Public Safety", Chapter 7 "Noise Control": 5-7-1 Purpose (1952 Code § 6-20-01), 5-7-2 Definitions (1952 Code § 6-20-02), 5-7-3 Noise Prohibitions (1952 Code § 6-20-03), 5-7-4 Exemptions (1952 Code § 6-20-06; amd. Ord. 21-25, 7-8-2025), 5-7-5 Provisions Cumulative (1952 Code § 6-20-05), 5-7-6 Enforcement (1952 Code § 6-20-04), 5-7-7 Penalty (1952 Code § 6-20-07; amd. 2019 Code). Title 6 "Motor Vehicles and Traffic": Chapter 16 "Vehicle Amplified Sounds", 6-16-1 Purpose And Scope, 6-16-2 Vehicular Amplified Sound Prohibitions, 6-16-3 Exemptions, 6-16-4 Penalty (1952 Code §§ 10-20-01, -02, -05, -06; each amd. Ord. 13-23, 3-28-2023); Chapter 17 "Excessive Exhaust and Muffler Noise", 6-17-1 Legal Authority, 6-17-2 Purpose, 6-17-3 Scope, 6-17-4 Definitions, 6-17-5 Motor Vehicle Muffler General Requirements And Prohibitions, 6-17-6 Excessive Fumes, Smoke Or Exhaust, 6-17-7 Exemptions, 6-17-8 Penalty (Ord. 25-17, 7-25-2017; 6-17-3, 6-17-4, 6-17-5 and 6-17-8 amd. Ord. 14-23, 3-28-2023). Penalties refer to Title 1, 1-4-1 and 1-4-2. Text read on American Legal Publishing, the City's code host, edition "2026 S-31 (current)", on 2026-10-21..

Where to file in Boise

Boise Police: the department's page lists "Non-emergency dispatch/Request an officer" (208) 377-6790 and "Boise Police Records/General questions" (208) 570-6000, says "If this is an emergency, please call 911.", and says "Online reports are for non-emergencies, neighborhood concerns, traffic concerns, and abandoned vehicles." Its Report a Crime page says online reports are reviewed within a few days and "If you need immediate assistance please call dispatch at 208-377-6790." The City's "Who Do I Call?" guide (PDF on cityofboise.org, undated) lists NOISE at 208-377-6790 with the note "Prohibited if amplified noise can be clearly heard within residence or at a distance of over 100 feet." and ANIMAL CONTROL at 208-343-3166 to "Report barking dogs" among other animal problems. Under the code, any City peace officer or person empowered to enforce the chapter may issue a citation on their own observation without a citizen complainant's signature, and a citizen in whose presence a violation occurred may sign a citation if it is witnessed by a City peace officer or other enforcing person whose name is endorsed on it (5-7-6). Sources: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/police/, https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/police/report-a-crime/, https://www.cityofboise.org/media/4214/whodoicall.pdf.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-21. 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. Boise enforces mostly by audibility, 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 Boise are No quiet hours; the audibility tests apply at all hours. The Boise 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 Boise in general? The Boise 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 Boise?

What are the quiet hours in Boise?

No quiet hours; the audibility tests apply at all hours. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Boise noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Boise?

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 Boise?

Boise 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.