How to file a noise complaint in Orlando

Last updated: October 1, 2026

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

Orlando noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (55 dBA residential); construction exempt 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., not Sundays
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Code of the City of Orlando

Official text: Code of the City of Orlando, Subtitle A "General Ordinances," Chapter 42 "Noise," Secs. 42.01 through 42.09, enacted in full by an ordinance adopted Aug. 10, 2009 (§ 1, Doc. #0908101101, replacing the former chapter) and amended by Ord. No. 2013-14 (9-16-2013), Ord. No. 2017-38 (10-23-2017), Ord. No. 2022-46 (9-26-2022) and Ord. No. 2025-31, § 7 (11-10-2025, Secs. 42.04 and 42.07): 42.01 purpose, 42.02 general requirements, 42.03 noises to which the standards apply (definitions and Chart 1), 42.04 prohibited acts, 42.05 additional prohibited acts, 42.06 exempt noises, 42.07 use of mechanical loud speakers or amplifiers out of doors, 42.08 method of noise measurement, 42.09 enforcement; with Sec. 1.08 (general penalty), Secs. 5.12, 5.13 and 5.19 (code enforcement citations; Chapter 42 violations are Class II) and Land Development Code Sec. 62.506 (sound attenuation in the Downtown Entertainment Area). Text read on Municode (the City's code host; Supp. No. 92, codified through Ord. No. 2026-5) on 2026-10-01..

Where to file in Orlando

Per orlando.gov, Code Enforcement, "Citizen's Guide to City of Orlando Codes" (Noise): "Loud music, parties or disturbances of the peace should be reported to the Orlando Police Department at 321.235.5300. Ongoing noise should be reported to code enforcement at 407.246.2686 and may require a decibel level meter reading to determine if noise level exceeds that allowed by code." The same page says a citizen may report a complaint by phone or online, that an inspection is conducted within approximately 48 hours and that a Notice of Violation is issued if a violation is found; orlando.gov's "Report a Problem" page links "Report a Code Enforcement Violation" for online reports, and its "Report a Code Violation" page says that under Florida Statute 162.21 anyone submitting a code violation report must provide their name and address. Chapter 42 is enforced under Sec. 1.08 or Chapter 5, Article II (42.09): code enforcement officers, a group that includes code inspectors and sworn law enforcement officers, may issue civil citations (5.11, 5.12), Chapter 42 violations are Class II with reduced civil penalties of $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second and a mandatory court hearing for a third (5.19), the civil maximum is $500 per violation plus costs (5.12), and an officer generally gives notice and up to 30 days to correct before citing unless the violation is a repeat, a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare, or irreparable (5.13); prosecuted as an ordinance violation instead, the general penalty is a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail (1.08(3)). Outdoor loudspeaker permits come from the Special Events Office (temporary) or the Planning Official (continual use) (42.07(4)).

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-01. 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. Orlando 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 Orlando are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (55 dBA residential); construction exempt 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., not Sundays. The Orlando 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 Orlando in general? The Orlando 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 Orlando?

What are the quiet hours in Orlando?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (55 dBA residential); construction exempt 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., not Sundays. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Orlando noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Orlando?

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 Orlando?

Orlando 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.