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How to file a noise complaint in Nashville

Last updated: August 11, 2026

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

Official text: Metropolitan Code of Laws of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, Title 9 "Noise and Amplified Sound". The present Title 9 was enacted by Ord. BL2020-196, § 1, adopted May 5, 2020, which repealed the former Title 9 (§§ 9.10.010, 9.10.020, 9.20.010—9.20.060, 9.30.010—9.30.040, derived from Ord. BL2019-1631 § 2, 2019). It has been amended repeatedly since: 9.20.010 by Ord. BL2023-2106 §§ 1, 2, 2023; 9.20.020 by Ord. BL2021-911 § 6, 2021 and Ord. BL2025-1047 § 1, 2025 (with Amdt. 1); 9.20.060 by Ord. BL2023-2106 § 3, 2023; 9.30.010 by Ord. BL2020-300 § 1, 2020, Ord. BL2022-1164 § 1, 2022 and Ord. BL2024-180 § 1, 2024 (effective May 1, 2024); 9.30.020 by Ord. BL2020-300 § 1, 2020; and 9.30.030 by Ord. BL2022-1164 § 2, 2022. Chapter 9.10 General Provisions — 9.10.010 definitions (including "plainly audible", "sound amplification equipment", and "sound level meter", specified as a type 2 or better instrument per ANSI S1.4-1971), 9.10.020 measurement procedure ("A" Weighting Network; measured as close as possible to the outside walls of any residential structure located on the property affected by the noise at a height of four feet above the immediate surrounding surface), 9.10.030 exemption for airport uses. Chapter 9.20 Excessive Noise — 9.20.010 sound amplification equipment (subsection A the plainly-audible rules for the rest of the county, subsection B the numeric DTC/CF downtown rules), 9.20.020 motor vehicle noise, 9.20.030 outdoor entertainment and mass gatherings, 9.20.040 commercial noise, 9.20.050 excessive noise on a pedal carriage, 9.20.060 enforcement. Chapter 9.30 Construction Noise — 9.30.010 outdoor construction hours, 9.30.020 exemptions, 9.30.030 variances, 9.30.040 enforcement. Cross-references verified on the live code: Section 11.12.070 ("Excessive noise is governed by the provisions of Chapter 9.20 of this Code.") and Section 16.44.010 ("Construction noise is governed by the provisions of Chapter 9.30 of this Code."); Chapter 16.44 was replaced by Ord. BL2019-1631 § 4, adopted August 20, 2019. Code as published: Supplement 53, online content updated June 23, 2026, codified through Ordinance No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025..

Where to file in Nashville

Report noise through hubNashville, Metro's 311 service: dial 311 from inside Davidson County, call 615-862-5000 from inside or outside the county, or file online at hub.nashville.gov, which carries dedicated "Noise Violations" request types (separate intake exists for construction noise). For a disturbance happening right now that needs an officer, use the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department non-emergency line at 615-862-8600; call 911 only for an emergency. Under Section 9.20.060 enforcement of the excessive-noise chapter falls to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the Nashville Department of Transportation and the Department of Codes and Building Safety; under Section 9.30.040 construction-noise enforcement is handled by the metropolitan department of codes administration.

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

1. 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.
2. Measure it if you can. Nashville 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.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in Nashville are No single window; commercial 9:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.. The Nashville noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
4. 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 Nashville in general? The Nashville 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 Nashville?

Report noise through hubNashville, Metro's 311 service: dial 311 from inside Davidson County, call 615-862-5000 from inside or outside the county, or file online at hub.nashville.gov, which carries dedicated "Noise Violations" request types (separate intake exists for construction noise).

What are the quiet hours in Nashville?

No single window; commercial 9:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Nashville noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Nashville?

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 Nashville?

Nashville 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.