How to file a noise complaint in Pittsburgh

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 Pittsburgh acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Pittsburgh noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (55 dBA unamplified, 75 amplified); construction 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekdays
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	The Pittsburgh Code

Official text: The Pittsburgh Code, Code of Ordinances, Title Six "Conduct," Article I "Regulated Rights and Actions," Chapter 601 "Public Order," § 601.04 "Noise Control" (Ord. 17-1991, eff. 5-24-1991; Am. Ord. 22-1998, eff. 10-1-1998; Ord. 24-2001, eff. 11-30-2001; Ord. No. 4-2011, § 1, eff. 3-9-2011; Ord. No. 28-2015, § 1, eff. 8-11-2015): (a) purpose, (b) definitions, (c) restriction of noise between premises (Table A unamplified, Table B amplified, measurement), (d) apartment to apartment and residence to residence noise, (e) amplified noise from vehicles or devices, (f) exemptions, (g) reserved, (h) instrumentation, (i) penalties; with Title Six, Chapter 670 "Disruptive Property Abatement" (§ 670.02 definitions) and the Zoning Code, Title Nine, § 916.06 "Noise" (Residential Compatibility Standards, Ord. No. 13-2017), § 917.02 "Noise" (Operational Performance Standards, Ord. No. 13-2017) and § 917.06 "Construction Operations" (Ord. No. 13-2017; Ord. No. 35-2017). Text read on eCode360 (General Code, the City's code host; "Includes legislation through 09-16-2026") on 2026-10-01..

Where to file in Pittsburgh

Per pittsburghpa.gov, "311" and "Contacting 311" pages: "Dial 311 or our ten-digit number: 412-255-2621"; calls are answered by a live operator from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; requests can also be made through the online 311 Request Form, by email to PGH311@pittsburghpa.gov, through the PGH311 mobile app, or by TeleTypeWriter at 412-255-8647; requests "can be sent anonymously if you do not require a response," and the 311 page notes that 311 now uses caller ID unless you press *67 before dialing. The Pittsburgh 311 request portal linked from those pages lists "Excessive Noise/Disturbances" under "Public Safety: Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services" ("Report excessive noise or noise-related disturbances"), and its short-term-rental entry says to dial 911 for concerns that are "currently IN PROGRESS" and to use "Excessive Noise/Disturbances" for ongoing noise. Penalties: up to $300 and costs per offense, or up to 30 days in default of payment (601.04(i)(1)); for vehicle sound systems, a mandatory $150 on a first violation and a mandatory $300 plus booting of the vehicle on a second (601.04(i)(2)). A § 601.04 violation is also "disruptive activity" under Chapter 670, and a property with disruptive activity on three or more separate occasions within 12 months can be declared a disruptive property (§ 670.02).

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. Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh are 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (55 dBA unamplified, 75 amplified); construction 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekdays. The Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh in general? The Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh?

What are the quiet hours in Pittsburgh?

10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (55 dBA unamplified, 75 amplified); construction 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekdays. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Pittsburgh noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Pittsburgh?

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 Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh 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.