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How to file a noise complaint in New York

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Official text: New York City Administrative Code, Title 24 (Environmental Protection and Utilities), Chapter 2 (Noise Control), §§ 24-201 to 24-270, known as the New York City Noise Control Code. Subchapter 1 covers the short title, policy and definitions (§ 24-203 defines ambient sound, impulsive sound at (34), plainly audible sound at (44), receiving property at (49) and unreasonable noise at (62)). Subchapter 2 has general provisions, including § 24-217 exemptions for houses of worship, § 24-217.1 measurement method (Lmax, slow response) and § 24-217.2 noise inspection reports. Subchapter 3 is the general prohibition (§ 24-218, the 7/10/15 dB-above-ambient rule, plus § 24-218(a-1) for commercial noise). Subchapter 4 is construction noise management (§ 24-219 mitigation rules, § 24-220 mitigation plan, § 24-222 the weekday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. limit, § 24-223 after hours authorizations and their dB caps, § 24-224.1 measurement in dwelling units on request). Subchapter 5 sets sound-level standards for specific sources (§ 24-225 refuse collection vehicles, § 24-226 air compressors, § 24-227 circulation devices, § 24-228 construction devices, § 24-230 paving breakers, § 24-231 commercial music, § 24-232 octave-band table). Subchapter 6 sets plainly-audible and other standards (§ 24-233 personal audio devices, § 24-234 transit earphones at 5 feet, § 24-235 animals, § 24-236 motor vehicles, § 24-236.1 noise camera owner liability, § 24-237 sound signal devices, § 24-238 burglar alarms, § 24-242 lawn care devices, § 24-243 snow blowers, § 24-244 sound reproduction devices). Subchapter 7 covers operating certificates and tunneling permits; Subchapter 8 covers enforcement, including § 24-257 the civil penalty schedule (Table I), § 24-261 citizen's complaint, § 24-269 criminal penalties and § 24-270 uniform civil penalties for unreasonable noise. Related rules sit in Title 15 of the Rules of the City of New York (15 RCNY Chapter 28, citywide construction noise mitigation; 15 RCNY Chapter 47 / § 47-02, noise code penalty schedule)..

Where to file in New York

Call 311, use the NYC311 app, or file online at portal.311.nyc.gov; 311 routes the service request to the right agency and gives you a tracking number you can follow via 311 service request status. DEP's official noise page states verbatim: "The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Police Department (NYPD) share the duties of enforcing the Noise Code." In practice NYPD responds to residential, street, party and loud-music complaints, while DEP handles construction, commercial music, HVAC and vehicle noise. Since Local Law 2024/006 added § 24-217.2, any person can request a copy of the resulting noise inspection report from DEP or NYPD by supplying the 311 tracking number, and the agency must provide it within 14 days and may not refuse on the ground that it is not a FOIL request. Summonses are adjudicated at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) / Environmental Control Board.

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. New York sets measured limits, so a reading near the limit is direct evidence. The free online decibel meter runs in your browser and records nothing.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in New York are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The New York 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 New York in general? The New York 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 New York?

Call 311, use the NYC311 app, or file online at portal.311.nyc.gov; 311 routes the service request to the right agency and gives you a tracking number you can follow via 311 service request status.

What are the quiet hours in New York?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the New York noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in New York?

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 New York?

New York 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.