How to file a noise complaint in Fresno

Last updated: September 20, 2026

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

Fresno noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (ambient floor 50 dB); construction 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., never Sunday
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Fresno Municipal Code

Official text: Fresno Municipal Code, Chapter 10 "Regulations Regarding Public Nuisances and Real Property Conduct and Use," Article 1 "Noise Regulations" (the "Noise Ordinance of the City of Fresno"), Secs. 10-101 (title), 10-102 (definitions and the district/time ambient table), 10-103 (decibel measurement criteria), 10-104 (monitoring procedures), 10-105 (excessive noise prohibited), 10-106 (prima facie violation), 10-107 (schools, hospitals and churches), 10-108 (public address systems), 10-109 (exceptions), 10-110 (permits), 10-111 (injunction). Article repealed and re-added by Ord. 72-163 (1972); Sec. 10-105 last amended by Ord. 2014-16 (eff. 4-18-14). Text read on Municode (the City's code host, Supp. No. 54, codified through Ord. 2026-002) on 2026-09-20..

Where to file in Fresno

Per fresno.gov, City Attorney, Code Enforcement FAQs: for loud parties call the Fresno Police Department at (559) 621-7000; for construction noise call the Building and Safety Division at (559) 621-8084; for industrial or commercial noise call Neighborhood Revitalization at (559) 621-8400. The Police Department's "Neighborhood Nuisances" page says loud parties are not emergencies, so use the non-emergency line (559) 621-7000 rather than 9-1-1; the dispatcher will ask for the location, the number of people and whether other crimes are in progress, and you may ask that officers not contact you. Non-emergency city issues can also be logged 24/7 through 3-1-1, (559) 621-CITY (2489) or the FresGO app. The same FAQ says the City does not get involved in minor neighbor disputes such as barking dogs and suggests courteous communication first. A meter-based case under 10-106 needs the 15-minute readings of 10-104, which is inspector work, so a party is reported to police and a persistent mechanical or business source to Neighborhood Revitalization.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-09-20. 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. Fresno 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 Fresno are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (ambient floor 50 dB); construction 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., never Sunday. The Fresno 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.

Measure it now, from where you hear it. Stop the meter to save a dated report you can attach to the 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 Fresno in general? The Fresno 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 Fresno?

What are the quiet hours in Fresno?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (ambient floor 50 dB); construction 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., never Sunday. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Fresno noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Fresno?

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 Fresno?

Fresno 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.