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How to file a noise complaint in Des Moines

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 Des Moines acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Official text: Des Moines Municipal Code, Chapter 42 "Environment", Article IV "Noise Control" (cited as the "Noise Control Ordinance of the City of Des Moines", Sec. 42-247), Secs. 42-246 through 42-268: 42-246 Definitions, 42-247 Title, 42-248 Statement of public policy, 42-249 Purpose, 42-250 Scope, 42-251 Exceptions to article, 42-252 Noise disturbance prohibited, 42-253 Ambient noise level, 42-254 Maximum permissible sound levels by receiving land use; immediate threat, 42-255 Emergency signaling devices, 42-256 Specific activities prohibited, 42-257 Musical instruments and similar devices, 42-258 Sound equipment, sound amplifying equipment and construction equipment, 42-259 Motorized vehicles, 42-260 Construction, 42-261 Stationary non-emergency signaling devices, 42-262 Animals and birds, 42-263 Enforcement, 42-264 Application for sound variances or type "J" permits, 42-265 Reserved, 42-266 Denial, or revocation of a sound permit, 42-267 Reserved, 42-268 Penalty. Article IV was enacted by Ord. No. 14,746, adopted Feb. 25, 2008, which repealed the former noise pollution article, and has been amended by Ord. Nos. 14,752, 14,774, 14,868, 14,976, 15,237, 15,474, 15,566, 15,645, 15,819, 15,853, 15,969, 16,064, 16,127 and 16,328; Ord. No. 15,566 (adopted March 20, 2017) repealed Secs. 42-265 and 42-267..

Where to file in Des Moines

Des Moines Police: the police department page says "In an emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, call dispatch at (515) 283-4811", and its Contact Us page says "For non-emergencies, call dispatch 24 hours a day at (515) 283-4811." The City's Report a Problem page lists, under Police, Emergency: 911, Non-Emergency: (515) 283-4811 and General: (515) 283-4824; it lists no noise category. For animals, the police Animal Care page says "To report a concern about an animal or a problem with an animal in Des Moines, call (515) 283-4811 or, if it is an emergency, call 911." Under the code, the noise program is implemented, administered and enforced by the community development and police departments, and noise disturbance rules are enforced on a complaint from a person disturbed by the noise or at the direction of the chief of police or a designee (42-263(a)-(b)); sound permits are applied for in writing to the zoning enforcement officer (42-258(d)) and variances in writing to the community development department at least 30 days ahead (42-264(c)). Sources: https://www.dsm.city/departments/police/index.php, https://www.dsm.city/departments/police/about/contact_us.php, https://www.dsm.city/report/report_a_problem.php, https://www.dsm.city/departments/police/animal_care.php.

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

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. Des Moines 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 Des Moines are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (residential and P1 limit 60 to 50; no construction tools). The Des Moines 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 Des Moines in general? The Des Moines 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 Des Moines?

Des Moines Police: the police department page says "In an emergency, call 9-1-1.

What are the quiet hours in Des Moines?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (residential and P1 limit 60 to 50; no construction tools). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Des Moines noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Des Moines?

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 Des Moines?

Des Moines 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.