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Noise complaints › Prince George's County
How to file a noise complaint in Prince George's County
For a loud party or other noise happening now, call the County's non-emergency dispatch number, 301-352-1200; the County's page for that number lists "A loud party or noise complaint" among the reasons to call, warns that the same staff answer 9-1-1 so there may be a delay, and says the line cannot take text messages.
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Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Prince George's 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. (night limits); higher construction limits run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
|---|---|
| How it is enforced | Decibel limits for some noise, other tests for the rest |
| Emergencies | 911 |
| Ordinance | Prince George's County Code Subtitle 19 (Pollution) |
Where to file in Prince George's County
For a loud party or other noise happening now, call the County's non-emergency dispatch number, 301-352-1200; the County's page for that number lists "A loud party or noise complaint" among the reasons to call, warns that the same staff answer 9-1-1 so there may be a delay, and says the line cannot take text messages. Use 911 for emergencies only. The County also takes online non-emergency dispatch requests, where the incident type Disturbance covers loud parties, fireworks, equipment noises and loud music. The permitting department's noise guide splits the work: Police respond to noise complaints about loud parties and other events at private residences, at construction sites, and about loud vehicles; the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) investigates businesses and industrial sites whose noise disturbs residential areas, such as late-night truck deliveries with back-up beepers, loud music from nightclubs, and construction noise late at night or very early in the morning; and the Department of the Environment's Animal Services Division responds to noise from an animal source. The guide says a resident with excessive noise disturbances in the neighborhood may file a complaint by calling 311, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Federal and County holidays, or on www.pgc311.com at any hour, giving the address of the property and a brief description. The County's PGC311 page gives (301) 883-4748 for callers outside the County. For construction noise, DPIE's FAQ says to call the Police non-emergency number, (301) 352-1200. To reach the Police Department for information, when no officer needs to be sent, the County gives 301-516-9777. Who may enforce: an employee or agent of DPIE designated by its Director, or a police officer, for noise from any source, and the Director of the Animal Control Division or a designee for noise from an animal (Sec. 19-121(a)(7)). Penalties: a person who, after being instructed to cease the noise, allows or causes a continued violation is guilty of a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $1,000 for a first offense and $1,500 for each subsequent offense, or up to 30 days in jail, or both, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense (Sec. 19-124(a)). As an alternative, the Director, Police Chief, an enforcement officer or a police officer may issue a civil citation of up to $1,000 for a first offense and $1,500 for each subsequent offense (Sec. 19-124(b)), and violations may be reviewed by the County's Administrative Court (Sec. 19-124(c)). Sources: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/government/county-government/departments--offices/public-safety/homeland-security/about-us/divisions/public-safety-communications/non-emergency-dispatch-number, https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/departments-offices/homeland-security/services/online-non-emergency-dispatch-reporting, https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/default/files/media-document/DPIE's%20Role%20in%20Combating%20Noise%20Pollution.pdf, https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/faq/pg311-community-relations/what-pgc311-and-hours-operation, https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/departments-offices/faq/inspections-permitting-inspections-and-enforcement/during-what-hours-can-construction-be-done-there-noise-ordinance-who-do-i-call-report and https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/boards-commissions/nuisance-abatement-board.
From the county's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-09. 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. Prince George's 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 Prince George's County: 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (night limits); higher construction limits run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Prince George's 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 Prince George's County?
For a loud party or other noise happening now, call the County's non-emergency dispatch number, 301-352-1200; the County's page for that number lists "A loud party or noise complaint" among the reasons to call, warns that the same staff answer 9-1-1 so there may be a delay, and says the line cannot take text messages.
What are the quiet hours in Prince George's County?
9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (night limits); higher construction limits run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Prince George's County noise ordinance page.
Should I call 911 for noise in Prince George's 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 Prince George's County?
Prince George's 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.
