Decibel Shield
Noise complaints › Frederick County
How to file a noise complaint in Frederick County
For noise outside the cities and towns that have their own police, call the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Non-Emergency Dispatch at 301-600-2071, or 911 in an emergency: the Sheriff is one of the officials who can enforce § 1-11-6 (§ 1-11-7(A)).
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Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Frederick County acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.
| Quiet hours | 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (the limit at homes drops from 65 to 55 dBA) |
|---|---|
| How it is enforced | Measured decibel limits |
| Emergencies | 911 |
| Ordinance | Frederick County Code Chapter 1-11 (Health and Sanitation) |
Where to file in Frederick County
For noise outside the cities and towns that have their own police, call the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Non-Emergency Dispatch at 301-600-2071, or 911 in an emergency: the Sheriff is one of the officials who can enforce § 1-11-6 (§ 1-11-7(A)). The others are the Director of the Division of Planning and Permitting or the Director's designees, and the Zoning Administrator. Two official sources differ on the number. The Sheriff's Office lists 301-600-2071 as Non-Emergency Dispatch. The County's guide "Getting the Help You Need in Frederick County, MD" (Version 1 06/2025) places noise complaints under 301-600-1603 or other non-emergency numbers; the same guide lists 301-600-1603 as Frederick County Animal Control's after-hours emergency line and 301-600-2071 as the Sheriff's Office police non-emergency number, which is why the Sheriff's own number comes first here. No County or Sheriff's page we read sets out a noise complaint process beyond those numbers. The Sheriff's online reporting page does not show noise among the incident types it names and says to call if an incident is not in its category list. Inside a municipality with its own police, the Sheriff's online reporting page says incidents within the City of Frederick, Thurmont, Brunswick, Walkersville or Mount Airy must go to those local police departments, and that the Maryland State Police handle all incidents within the Town of Walkersville. The County guide lists police non-emergency numbers of 301-600-2102 for Frederick City, 410-386-2860 for Mt. Airy, and 301-600-2071 for Brunswick and Thurmont. The Division of Planning and Permitting is at 30 N. Market St., Frederick, 301-600-2313, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For a barking dog, call Frederick County Animal Control at 301-600-1544 or use the County's online Citizen Request for Service form for Animal Control, which is for non-emergency requests. The form page says Animal Control Officers keep office hours from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Sunday; the County guide says 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Penalties: the enforcement official is not required to issue a warning notice (§ 1-11-7(B)). A first offense is a Class E civil offense, fined $25 to $50, and each subsequent offense by the same individual or property owner is cited at the next highest class: Class D $50 to $100, Class C $100 to $250, Class B $250 to $500, Class A $500 to $1,000 (§§ 1-11-7(C), 1-1-9(E)). If the fine is not paid and no trial is requested, the enforcing agency may double it, to no more than $1,000 (§ 1-1-9(I)). Where a violation of the County Code appears intentional, criminal action may be brought, with a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 6 months in jail (§ 1-1-9(Q)). Sources: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/frederickcounty/latest/frederickco_md/0-0-0-15906 (§ 1-11-7), https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/frederickcounty/latest/frederickco_md/0-0-0-57479 (§ 1-1-9), https://www.frederickcosheriff.com/phone-numbers-fcso, https://www.frederickcosheriff.com/online-reporting, https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/356915/Getting-the-Help-You-Need-, https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/7989/Regulations-and-Ordinances and https://frederickcountymd.gov/forms.aspx?fid=105.
From the county's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-09. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the county'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. Frederick County 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.
- Check the rule. Quiet hours in Frederick County: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (the limit at homes drops from 65 to 55 dBA). The Frederick County 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 county does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.
What happens after you file
Noise reports often wait behind urgent calls, so a first call may not end 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 county 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 it nearby? The Washington 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 Frederick County?
For noise outside the cities and towns that have their own police, call the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Non-Emergency Dispatch at 301-600-2071, or 911 in an emergency: the Sheriff is one of the officials who can enforce § 1-11-6 (§ 1-11-7(A)).
What are the quiet hours in Frederick County?
10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (the limit at homes drops from 65 to 55 dBA). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Frederick County noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Frederick County?
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 Frederick County?
Frederick County enforces numeric decibel limits, so a time-stamped reading near the limit is direct evidence. Keep a log of dates, times and durations as well.
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.
