How to file a noise complaint in Boston

Last updated: July 11, 2026

Boston noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	City of Boston Municipal Code (CBC 1985)

Official text: City of Boston Municipal Code (CBC 1985), Chapter XVI (Prohibitions, Penalties and Permits), Section 16-26 "Unreasonable Noise," subsections 16-26.1 (general prohibition + dB definitions), 16-26.4 (construction hours), 16-26.5 (construction noise at residential lot lines), 16-26.6 (disturbing the peace), 16-26.7–16-26.10 (loud amplification devices + enforcement). Supplemented by the Air Pollution Control Commission "Regulations for the Control of Noise in the City of Boston" (adopted under CBC Title 7 §50 / M.G.L. c.40 §21), Regulations 1–6..

Where to file in Boston

Per boston.gov "Noise in Boston" page: loud parties, car alarms, and amplification (disturbing-the-peace issues) — dial 9-1-1 or contact the community service liaison at the local precinct; unpermitted after-hours construction — Boston 311 or Inspectional Services (ISD@boston.gov); construction/industrial site noise — Air Pollution Control Commission; HVAC and other noise — Boston Public Health Commission (617-534-5965, environment@bphc.org); roadwork — Public Works (617-635-4900) or BTD; licensed venues — entertainment licensing (617-635-4165); aircraft — Massport (617-561-3333). Ordinance basis: 16-26.6(B) directs aggrieved persons to complain to the Police, who must verify the level with a sound meter.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-07-11. 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. Boston sets measured limits, so a reading near the limit is direct evidence. The free online decibel meter runs in your browser and records nothing.
Check the rule. Quiet hours in Boston are 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The Boston 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 Boston in general? The Boston 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 Boston?

What are the quiet hours in Boston?

11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Boston noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Boston?

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 Boston?

Boston 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.