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How to file a noise complaint in Charlotte

Last updated: August 11, 2026

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

Official text: Charlotte, North Carolina, Code of Ordinances, Part II, Chapter 15 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions), Article III (Noise), Secs. 15-61 through 15-69. Sec. 15-61 general prohibition on unreasonably loud and disturbing noise, the 150-foot noise buffers around schools, houses of worship and health care facilities, the seven reasonableness factors, and the sirens / warning-horn / enclosed-building exemptions; Sec. 15-62 measurement (ANSI sound level meter, A-weighting for dB(A), C-weighting for dB(C)); Sec. 15-63 sounds impacting residential life (9:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. equipment ban in residential zones or within 300 feet of a residentially occupied structure, the 70 dB(A) mechanical-noise cap, an in-code Noise Reference Chart, and the emergency / city-crew exemptions); Sec. 15-64 amplified sound (55/50 dB(A) at residentially occupied property, the same limits measured inside another unit in multifamily complexes, 75 dB(A) in the right-of-way and city parks under a CMPD permit, 60 dB(A) for mobile amplification, and the subsection (b) carve-out for emergency devices and permitted or commercially regulated sound); Sec. 15-65 permits for additional amplification (10 business days' notice, 15 hours per calendar year, 1,000-foot neighbor notice, 70 dB(A) ceiling, exceptional permits); Sec. 15-65.1 outdoor amplification and music at commercial establishments (85/60 dB(C) by day of week, measured at the commercial property line, subject to a reasonable-person finding); Sec. 15-65.2 permits for large outdoor music facilities; Sec. 15-65.3 chronic commercial, construction, and industrial noise (designation, mitigation plans, non-cooperative status, appeals); Sec. 15-66 animals; Sec. 15-67 motor vehicles; Sec. 15-68 enforcement and penalties; Sec. 15-69 severability. Article III was rewritten in its entirety by Ord. No. 4663, § 1 (5-23-2011) and substantially amended by Ord. No. 9585, § 1 (6-24-2019), which added the noise buffers to Sec. 15-61, converted the commercial limits from dB(A) to dB(C), extended Sec. 15-65.3 to construction sites, and added Sec. 15-69; penalties were replaced by Ord. No. 274, § 7 (3-28-2022). Text read from Municode job 486645 = Supplement 56, "Codified through Ordinance No. 1033, enacted October 27, 2025.".

Where to file in Charlotte

Call CharMeck 311 (dial 3-1-1 inside Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, or 704-336-7600 from outside the county or from a cell phone whose carrier has not programmed 311; TTY users dial 711 and give the operator 704-336-7600). The 311 contact center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with online service requests, live chat and the CLT+ app available outside those hours. CMPD's own Local Ordinances page states that "Residents can call 911 or 311 to register a noise complaint" — 911 is the route for noise happening right now, since patrol officers respond and take the meter reading; each patrol division handles complaints in its own division. Enforcement is shared: CMPD officers measure dB(A) and dB(C) on scene and may issue a warning, a city citation, a uniform citation, or make an arrest, while Housing and Neighborhood Services / Code Enforcement handles chronic noise producers and mitigation plans. Large outdoor music facility permits go through Housing and Neighborhood Services (704-533-6754); right-of-way and additional-amplification permits go through CMPD, with the required notarized neighbor-notification statement sent to noisepermits@cmpd.org.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-08-11. 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. Charlotte 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.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in Charlotte are 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The Charlotte 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 Charlotte in general? The Charlotte 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 Charlotte?

Call CharMeck 311 (dial 3-1-1 inside Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, or 704-336-7600 from outside the county or from a cell phone whose carrier has not programmed 311; TTY users dial 711 and give the operator 704-336-7600).

What are the quiet hours in Charlotte?

9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Charlotte noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Charlotte?

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 Charlotte?

Charlotte 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.