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How to file a noise complaint in Salt Lake City

Last updated: October 21, 2026

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

Official text: Salt Lake City Code, Title 9 "Health and Safety", Chapter 9.28 "Noise Control": 9.28.010 Declaration Of Policy (prior code § 18-33-1), 9.28.020 Definitions And Standards (prior code § 18-33-2), 9.28.030 Sound Level; Measurement Method (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-5), 9.28.040 Noises Prohibited (Ord. 66-87 § 1, 1987: prior code § 18-33-3), 9.28.050 Exempt Uses And Activities (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-6), 9.28.060 Use Districts And Permitted Noise Levels (prior code § 18-33-4), 9.28.070 Permit For Relief From Restrictions; Conditions (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-7), 9.28.080 Enforcement Responsibility (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-8), 9.28.090 Violation; Penalty (Amended during 11/88 supplement: prior code § 18-33-9), 9.28.100 Violation; Additional Remedies (prior code § 18-33-10), 9.28.110 Buffer Zones Around Healthcare Facilities (Ord. 28-22, 2022). Text read on American Legal Publishing, the City's code host, edition "2026 S-21 (current)", on 2026-10-21..

Where to file in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City Police: the department's Contact Us page lists NON-EMERGENCY (801) 799-3000, "For situations requiring an officer but not an emergency. Keeps 911 lines open.", tells people experiencing an emergency to call 911, and links online police reports at https://police.slc.gov/online-report/. The Salt Lake County Health Department's "Report a Noise Problem" page offers a form for "routine excessive noise, such as from construction activities or large equipment" and says not to use it for a party, a moving source such as a vehicle or motorcycle, fireworks outside of designated holidays or another unusual circumstance, which go to local police through a non-emergency number (911 only for a life-threatening emergency); it sends barking dogs to the local animal services agency. The County's Sanitation and Safety section (Environmental Health Division) is at 385-468-3835, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Under the City chapter, the Valley health department has primary, but not exclusive, enforcement responsibility for stationary sources and joint responsibility with law enforcement agencies for vehicular sources (9.28.080), and permits for relief on the basis of undue hardship are sought from the Salt Lake Valley health department (9.28.070). Sources: https://slcpd.com/contact-us/, https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/health/noise/report/, https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/health/noise/.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-21. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard or 311 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. Salt Lake City 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.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in Salt Lake City are 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. when the next day is a Sunday or legal holiday). The Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City in general? The Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake City Police: the department's Contact Us page lists NON-EMERGENCY (801) 799-3000, "For situations requiring an officer but not an emergency.

What are the quiet hours in Salt Lake City?

9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. when the next day is a Sunday or legal holiday). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Salt Lake City noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Salt Lake City?

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 Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake City 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.