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Noise complaints › Memphis
How to file a noise complaint in Memphis
For noise happening right now (loud music, a party, a car stereo), call the Memphis Police Department non-emergency line at 901-545-2677 (545-COPS); 911 is for emergencies only. For construction outside the Sec. 9-68-6 hours and other code issues, file a service request with Memphis 311: dial 311 inside…
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Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Memphis acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.
| Quiet hours | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
|---|---|
| How it is enforced | Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others |
| Emergencies | 911 |
| Ordinance | Memphis |
Where to file in Memphis
For noise happening right now (loud music, a party, a car stereo), call the Memphis Police Department non-emergency line at 901-545-2677 (545-COPS); 911 is for emergencies only. For construction outside the Sec. 9-68-6 hours and other code issues, file a service request with Memphis 311: dial 311 inside the city, call 901-636-6500 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., after-hours voicemail), use the Memphis 311 app, or submit online at 311.memphistn.gov. Vehicle noise under Chapter 11-56 can be started by a resident: Sec. 11-56-6 lets a case be "brought upon complaint of a private citizen by issuance of a summons, after verification by a police officer using a sound meter," so the officer, not the resident, has to take the meter reading.
From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-08-11. 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. Memphis 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 Memphis are 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The Memphis 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 Memphis in general? The Memphis 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 Memphis?
For noise happening right now (loud music, a party, a car stereo), call the Memphis Police Department non-emergency line at 901-545-2677 (545-COPS); 911 is for emergencies only.
What are the quiet hours in Memphis?
11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Memphis noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Memphis?
Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use 311 or the non-emergency police line; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.
What evidence helps a noise complaint in Memphis?
Memphis 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.