How to file a noise complaint in Richmond

Last updated: October 5, 2026

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

Richmond noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (55 dBA at homes; 65 dBA by day)
How it is enforced	Measured decibel limits
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Code of the City of Richmond

Official text: Code of the City of Richmond, Virginia, 2026 (the "Richmond Code"), Chapter 11 "Environment," Article II "Sound Control," Secs. 11-32 (definitions), 11-33 (declaration of findings and policy), 11-34 (administration and enforcement), 11-35 (testing of metering devices), 11-36 (exemptions), 11-37 (violations) and 11-38 (penalties) (Code 2020, §§ 11-32 to 11-38; Ord. No. 2022-219, § 3, 11-14-2022; Secs. 11-34, 11-37 and 11-38 amended by Ord. No. 2024-194, § 1, 7-22-2024; Sec. 11-36 amended by Ord. No. 2024-094, § 1, 9-9-2024); with Secs. 4-1 and 4-244 (animals as a public nuisance), 6-422, 6-456 and 6-485 (peddlers and vendors), 8-342 (Festival Park) and 24-229 (sidewalk cafes). The 2026 recodification kept the 2020 section numbers. Text read on Municode (the City's code host; "Recodification codified through Ordinance No. 2025-207, adopted October 14, 2025") on 2026-10-05..

Where to file in Richmond

Call the police non-emergency line. Under Sec. 11-34 the Chief of Police enforces and administers the sound control program, and a report of a violation "shall only be initiated by a call for service to the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response or other verbal complaint made by a complainant to a police officer." The Department of Emergency Communications page on rva.gov says it "answers and dispatches all 911 and non-emergency calls for the City of Richmond" and lists phone (804) 646-5100, and the Richmond Police Department's Contact Us page says "The Richmond Police Non-Emergency Number is (804) 646-5100"; use 911 for emergencies. The code does not list RVA311 (3-1-1 or 804-646-7000, rva311.com or the RVA311 app; call center Monday-Thursday 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed weekends and City holidays) as a way to start a sound complaint. An officer who finds a violation may serve a notice of violation; if the person operating the source cannot be identified, any owner, tenant, resident or manager physically present who has dominion and control over it may be charged; and the civil penalty must be paid within 15 days of receiving the notice, failing which the City may file a warrant in debt in the General District Court (11-38(c)). Sources: https://www.rva.gov/911, https://www.rva.gov/police/contact-us and https://www.rva.gov/citizen-service-and-response/about-rva-311.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-05. 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. Richmond 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 Richmond are 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (55 dBA at homes; 65 dBA by day). The Richmond 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 Richmond in general? The Richmond 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 Richmond?

Call the police non-emergency line.

What are the quiet hours in Richmond?

11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (55 dBA at homes; 65 dBA by day). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Richmond noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Richmond?

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 Richmond?

Richmond enforces numeric decibel limits, so a time-stamped reading near the limit is direct evidence. Keep a log of dates, times and durations as well.

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.