How to file a noise complaint in Eugene

Last updated: November 9, 2026

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

Eugene noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; construction from 7 p.m.; mowers and leaf blowers from 9 p.m.
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some noise, other tests for the rest
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Eugene Code 4.080 to 4.084 and 6.750 to 6.755

Where to file in Eugene

Call the Eugene Police Department non-emergency line, 541-682-5111, for amplified sound or music, noise from large gatherings and other noise disturbances; the City's Noise Rules page sends other kinds of noise to other offices. For lawn equipment, heat pumps, commercial, construction or industrial noise it names Code Compliance, 541-682-5819, or an online complaint. Code Compliance (Atrium Building, 99 W. 10th Ave, Ste 230) says nuisance and zoning complaints must be in writing, through its online form or by mail, e-mail, fax or in person, and asks you to say if you want the complaint kept confidential. Its Filing a Complaint page ranks noise as Priority 3, Medium, with a response goal of 10 days. For barking dogs the Noise Rules page gives Animal Services, 541-687-4060, in business hours and the police non-emergency line after hours. Animal Services says it must have an address, sends a Good Neighbor letter on a first complaint and needs a signed complaint by a witness to the noise before it can act: "We cannot take enforcement from an anonymous complaint." The Code Compliance page gives a different Animal Services number for barking, 541-682-5748; the Noise Rules page, the Animal Services page and its FAQ all give 541-687-4060. Penalties: creating or continuing a noise disturbance is punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to 30 days in jail, or both (4.080, 4.990(1)). Where the noise is electronically amplified sound or a gathering of five or more people, failing to stop it within 30 minutes of a citation or other notice, or repeating it within six months, is punishable by a fine of up to $1,500 or up to 90 days in jail, or both (4.081, 4.990(1)). The city manager may also impose an administrative civil penalty under section 2.018 for violations of sections 4.083 through 4.084 and of 4.430 (4.996(7)). Permitting an animal to cause continuous annoyance (4.430) is not listed by name in 4.990, so it falls under the catch-all for the animal sections: a fine of not more than $250, half of which may be waived if the violator attends a violators school run by the animal regulation authority (4.990(2)(a), (e)). The Chapter 6 rules (construction, equipment, commercial and industrial noise) carry a lower fine: sections 6.750 and 6.752 are not named in the chapter's specific penalties (6.990), so the general penalty applies, a fine not to exceed $200 (6.992). The city manager may also impose an administrative civil penalty under section 2.018 for a violation of Chapter 6, on the violator and, where the violator does not own the building or property, on the owner as well; not paying it is grounds for withholding permits or licenses or for a stop work order (6.995). Sources: https://www.eugene-or.gov/5521/Noise-Rules, https://www.eugene-or.gov/388/Code-Compliance, https://www.eugene-or.gov/1617/Filing-a-Complaint, https://www.eugene-or.gov/1919/Animal-Services and https://www.eugene-or.gov/m/faq?cat=96.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-09. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city'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. Eugene sets measured limits for some noise, so a reading can help, and a dated log counts either way. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
Check the rule. Quiet hours in Eugene: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; construction from 7 p.m.; mowers and leaf blowers from 9 p.m. The Eugene 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 Eugene in general? The Eugene 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 Eugene?

What are the quiet hours in Eugene?

10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; construction from 7 p.m.; mowers and leaf blowers from 9 p.m. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Eugene noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Eugene?

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 Eugene?

Eugene uses decibel limits for some noise and other tests for the rest, so keep a dated log and take readings when you can; the rules above say which applies.

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.