Decibel Shield
Noise complaints › Howard County
How to file a noise complaint in Howard County
For a neighbor's noise, the enforcer is the Howard County Police Department (Sec. 8.900(e)(2)): the County's contact page lists 410-313-2200 for police non-emergencies and 911 for emergencies. No County page we read says how to report a neighbor's noise, so that is the general police non-emergency line, not a dedicated noise line.
Last updated:
Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Howard 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 | Howard County Code Title 8 (Crimes and Misdemeanors) |
Where to file in Howard County
For a neighbor's noise, the enforcer is the Howard County Police Department (Sec. 8.900(e)(2)): the County's contact page lists 410-313-2200 for police non-emergencies and 911 for emergencies. No County page we read says how to report a neighbor's noise, so that is the general police non-emergency line, not a dedicated noise line. The same page lists 410-313-3200 for general police questions. The Health Department's 2025 Merriweather Post Pavilion report describes concert noise complaints being called in to the Police Department, which relays them to Health Department staff. For noise from a business, the Health Department may also enforce Sec. 8.900 when the noise complained of originates from commercial or industrial property (Sec. 8.900(e)(3)), and its complaints page lists noise pollution from commercial buildings among the concerns its form covers: call the Community Hygiene Program at 410-313-1773 or use the online Health Complaint Form on the Department's Accela portal, which lists filing a health complaint among the services available once you create an account (Bureau of Environmental Health, 410-313-2640, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Columbia). That page says an inspector might contact you for details and that the Department will not reveal who made the complaint while it is investigating. The County's Report an Issue page has no noise category. For a barking dog or other animal noise, contact Animal Control at 410-313-2780 (8576 Davis Road, Columbia). Under the code, a domesticated animal that disturbs the public peace is a nuisance (Sec. 17.302(a)(9)), and enforcement can rest on the observation of the Animal Control Administrator, an Animal Control Officer or a Police Officer, or on a sworn statement from a citizen about three separate incidents that occurred not less than two days apart and not more than 30 days apart, received within 30 days of the most recent one (Sec. 17.309(a)). Penalties: a person who violates Sec. 8.900 is guilty of a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in jail, or both (Sec. 8.900(e)(1)). The Police Department, and the Health Department for commercial or industrial sources, may instead use civil penalties under Title 24: a first violation is a Class E civil offense, fined $25 to $50, and a subsequent violation is a Class D civil offense, fined $50 to $100 (Secs. 8.900(e)(4), 24.107). Each day a violation continues after a notice of violation or citation is a separate violation (Sec. 24.106), and a fine left unpaid 15 days after the formal notice brings an additional fine of up to the original amount (Sec. 24.109). Sources: https://library.municode.com/md/howard_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=HOCOCO_TIT24CIPE (Title 24), https://www.howardcountymd.gov/public-information/contact-us, https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/health-complaints, https://aca-prod.accela.com/EH_HOWARBPS/Login.aspx, https://www.howardcountymd.gov/report-issue, https://www.howardcountymd.gov/police/animal-control and https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/8.900%20-%202025%20Noise%20Moniroting%20Summary%20for%20Merriwearther%20Post%20Pavillion%20Summer.pdf.
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. Howard 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 Howard County: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (the limit at homes drops from 65 to 55 dBA). The Howard 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 Columbia 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 Howard County?
For a neighbor's noise, the enforcer is the Howard County Police Department (Sec. 8.900(e)(2)): the County's contact page lists 410-313-2200 for police non-emergencies and 911 for emergencies.
What are the quiet hours in Howard 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 Howard County noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Howard 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 Howard County?
Howard 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.
