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How to file a noise complaint in Salem

Last updated: November 9, 2026

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

Official text: Salem Revised Code Chapter 93 (Noise), in Title VIII (Offenses): Sec. 93.001 Declaration of purpose (Prior Code, § 93.001; Ord. No. 166-78; Ord. No. 37-10), 93.005 Definitions (Prior Code, § 93.005; Ord. No. 179-82; Ord. No. 53-97; Ord. No. 91-99; Ord. No. 23-2002; Ord. No. 57-05; Ord. No. 31-06; Ord. No. 37-10), 93.010 Noise disturbance prohibited (Prior Code, § 93.010; Ord. No. 3408; Ord. No. 80-74; Ord. No. 179-82; Ord. No. 55-84; Ord. No. 20-2000; Ord. No. 23-2002; Ord. No. 37-10), 93.020 Specific noise disturbances (Prior Code, § 93.020; Ord. No. 37-10), 93.030 Exemptions (Prior Code, § 93.030; Ord. No. 179-82; Ord. No. 12-84; Ord. No. 55-84; Ord. No. 10-85; Ord. No. 46-94; Ord. No. 23-2002; Ord. No. 31-05; Ord. No. 37-10), 93.040 to 93.980 Reserved, 93.990 Violations (Prior Code, § 93.990; Ord. No. 193-79; Ord. No. 179-82; Ord. No. 47-97; Ord. No. 20-2000; Ord. No. 23-2002; Ord. No. 57-05; Ord. No. 37-10). Title IV (Health and Sanitation), Chapter 51 (Event Sound Permits), which holds the decibel table: Sec. 51.001 Declaration of purpose, 51.005 Definitions, 51.010 Administration; rulemaking, 51.015 Maximum permissible sound levels (Table 51-1), 51.020 Event sound permits; types, 51.030 Application for a permit, 51.040 Notice, 51.050 Permit criteria and conditions, 51.060 Permit decision, 51.070 Appeal and 51.100 Violations (each: Prior Code, same section number; Ord. No. 37-10). Title I (Government), Chapter 1 (General Provisions): Sec. 1.070 General penalty; continuing violations (Prior Code, § 1.070; Ord. No. 104-76; Ord. No. 193-79; Ord. No. 17-2000). Also Title IX (Vehicles and Traffic), Chapter 100 (Generally): Sec. 100.310 Prohibited tire noise (Prior Code, § 100.310; Ord. No. 82-72; Ord. No. 179-82) and 100.990 Violations (Prior Code, § 100.990; Ord. No. 193-79). Text read on Municode (library.municode.com/or/salem), Supplement 26, online content updated on September 23, 2026, codified through Ordinance No. 10-26, adopted August 10, 2026. Its list of adopted ordinances not yet codified (Ordinance Nos. 7-26, 8-26, 09-26 and 10-26) names no ordinance that amends Chapter 93 or Chapter 51..

Where to file in Salem

Report noise to the Salem Police Department, online through the Salem Police Online Reporting system or on the non-emergency line, 503-588-6123. The City's Service Alternatives page says barking dogs and loud noise "may not receive an immediate in-person officer response." For barking dogs, and for loud noise from parties or amplified sound, it says to report online with an exact address so that a noise violation notice can be sent to the residence, and that a police officer will follow up after five or more notices within a 90-day period. Gatherings with loud noise or amplified sound can also be reported on 503-588-6123; the page says such calls are handled by the dispatch center's automated virtual assistant, and that the reported circumstances, any criminal activity and the staff available decide whether an officer comes in person. The same page lists Salem Police Dispatch at 503-588-6123, option 1, and says to call or text 9-1-1 for any immediate dangers. Marion County Dog Services says barking dog complaints inside the city limits of Salem should be filed with Salem's law enforcement agency at 503-588-6123, not with County Dog Control. The City's Animals & Pets page lists Code Compliance, 555 Liberty St. SE, Room 305, 503-588-6421, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as its contact; no page read today says which noise complaints that office takes. Penalty: a violation of 93.010 or 93.020 is an infraction, and the court may also order the person to correct the violation (93.990(a)); the maximum penalty for an infraction is a forfeiture of $250 (1.070(b)(2)). A second or subsequent violation within six months of having been convicted of one is a misdemeanor (93.990(b)), with a maximum of six months imprisonment or a fine of $500, or both (1.070(b)(1)). Every day a violation continues is a separate offense (1.070(d)). Exceeding the Table 51-1 levels without an event sound permit is also an infraction under Chapter 51, with each day a separate violation (51.100(a), (c)). Sources: https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/safety/police/crime-and-other-police-reports/service-alternatives-to-some-non-emergency-calls, https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/safety/police/crime-and-other-police-reports/file-a-police-report-online, https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/city-directory, https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/household/animals-pets, https://www.co.marion.or.us/CS/DogServices/Enforcement and, for Chapter 51 and the general penalty, https://library.municode.com/or/salem/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TITIVHESA_CH51EVSOPE and https://library.municode.com/or/salem/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TITIGO_CH1GEPR.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-09. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard 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. Salem 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.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in Salem: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (power equipment, construction, idling, vehicle repair, lower dBA limits). The Salem 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 Salem in general? The Salem 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 Salem?

Report noise to the Salem Police Department, online through the Salem Police Online Reporting system or on the non-emergency line, 503-588-6123.

What are the quiet hours in Salem?

10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (power equipment, construction, idling, vehicle repair, lower dBA limits). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Salem noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Salem?

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 Salem?

Salem 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.