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Noise complaints › Montgomery County
How to file a noise complaint in Montgomery County
For noise happening now, or any noise complaint after business hours or on a weekend, call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency line, 301-279-8000, which the County lists as available 24/7 for a noise complaint, and use 911 only for emergencies.
Last updated:
Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Montgomery County acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.
| Quiet hours | 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays; 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. weekends and holidays |
|---|---|
| How it is enforced | Decibel limits for some noise, other tests for the rest |
| Emergencies | 911 |
| Ordinance | Montgomery County Code Chapter 31B |
Where to file in Montgomery County
For noise happening now, or any noise complaint after business hours or on a weekend, call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency line, 301-279-8000, which the County lists as available 24/7 for a noise complaint, and use 911 only for emergencies. During business hours, contact MC311 (311 in the County, 240-777-0311 from outside it, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed weekends and holidays; MC311.com is open 24/7) or file the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) online noise complaint; MC311 says a DEP investigator will typically contact you within 3 business days. The County's page also sends noise disturbances from trash collection during quiet hours to MC311. For a noise disturbance no enforcement officer witnessed, two people can file the Citizen's Two Party Noise Disturbance Complaint online, because an officer may issue a civil citation on complaints from at least 2 witnesses (Sec. 31B-12(f)(2)). Both signers must be over 18, each event needs its own form, testimony will be required if the case is heard in District Court, and a copy of the form with your contact information goes to the alleged violator if there is enough evidence for a citation. For a gas-powered leaf blower, one witness is enough if the Director of DEP receives the complaint within 7 days of the violation (Sec. 31B-9(j)). For a barking dog or other animal, call 301-279-8000 and press 2 for the Office of Animal Services, or 240-314-8930 if the incident is in the City of Rockville; MC311 says a violation of Sec. 5-203(a)(6) may result in a $100 fine. For vehicle noise, call the police line, since the County says motor vehicles are regulated under the State Motor Vehicle Code by the Police and not under its noise law. For routine sounds between apartments, the County says the building manager or property management company is responsible, and the Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs (240-777-0311) can help with questions. In Takoma Park, which exempts itself from Chapter 31B, use the City's Code Enforcement staff (301-891-7113 or 301-891-7243). Penalties: a violation of Chapter 31B is a Class A violation and each day it continues is a separate offense (Sec. 31B-12(b)). Under Sec. 1-19 that means, as a misdemeanor, a fine of up to $1,000, up to 6 months in jail, or both; or, as a civil violation, $500 for an initial offense and $750 for a repeat offense, unless an executive regulation sets a lower amount. Sources: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/propertycare/noise-control, https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/propertycare/noise-control/file-noise-complaint, https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/office-public-information/make-right-call, https://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/SolutionView.aspx?SolutionId=1-8RQ28P, https://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/SolutionView.aspx?SolutionId=1-2HK5AY, https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/DepCaseSurvey/NoiseComplaint.aspx, https://takomaparkmd.gov/314/Noise-Control and https://ecode360.com/47262041.
From the county's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-04. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the county'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. Montgomery County 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 Montgomery County: 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays; 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. weekends and holidays. The Montgomery 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 Montgomery County?
For noise happening now, or any noise complaint after business hours or on a weekend, call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency line, 301-279-8000, which the County lists as available 24/7 for a noise complaint, and use 911 only for emergencies.
What are the quiet hours in Montgomery County?
9 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays; 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. weekends and holidays. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Montgomery County noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Montgomery County?
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 Montgomery County?
Montgomery County 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.
