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How to file a noise complaint in St. Louis

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

Official text: Revised Code of the City of Saint Louis, 2020, Annotated, Title 15 "Public Peace, Morals and Welfare," Division IV "Offenses Against Public Peace": Chapter 15.46 "Disturbances" (15.46.030 disturbing the peace); Chapter 15.50 "Noise" (15.50.010 general prohibition through 15.50.150; 15.50.030 as amended by Ord. Nos. 65700 (2002), 67002 and 67233 (2006); 15.50.031 to 15.50.033 by Ord. No. 67002 (2006); 15.50.080 to 15.50.082 by Ord. No. 66986 (2006); 15.50.110 by Ord. No. 63803 (1996)); Chapter 15.51 "Industrial Noise" (15.51.010 to 15.51.090; Ord. No. 64566 (1998), amended by Ord. No. 68130 (10-26-2008)); and Title 17, Chapter 17.78 "Vehicle Noise" (Ord. Nos. 58602 (1982) and 61303 (1989)). The Municode edition is codified through Ordinance No. 72042, enacted October 30, 2025 (Supp. No. 11). Text read on Municode (the City's code host) on 2026-10-01..

Where to file in St. Louis

Per stlouis-mo.gov: the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department page lists "Non-Emergencies: (314) 231-1212" (911 for emergencies). The Citizens' Service Bureau (CSB) takes City service requests online, by live chat, via @stlcsb, or by phone at (314) 622-4800, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (excluding City holidays); the Health Department's "Report a Community Sanitation Problem" page lists "Noise complaint for construction (unacceptable levels of construction noise between 10 pm and 7 am)" among the requests CSB routes to Community Sanitation ((314) 657-1539, health@stlouis-mo.gov). The Excise Division's page on nuisance behavior at establishments that sell alcohol says that if an establishment is too loud, a resident should call the non-emergency line at 314-231-1212 and state "This is a nuisance property." Chapter 15.51 is enforced by notice: the Health Commissioner issues a written notice giving up to 60 days to abate (extendable on an acceptable abatement plan), unabated violations are referred to the City Counselor for prosecution, and orders can be appealed within 10 days to the Board of Noise Control Appeals and Variance Review with a $50 fee (15.51.050 to 15.51.070); variances cost $50 and require a public hearing (15.51.080). Penalties: violations of 15.50.010 to 15.50.100 are fined $100 to $500 for a first offense and $250 to $500 for a repeat within a year, or community service (15.50.110); 15.50.032 sets minimum fines for music (at least $100, $250, then $500 within a year) and car audio (at least $250, then $500), and a vehicle whose sound is plainly audible more than 75 feet away may be seized and impounded with a $500 administrative penalty plus towing and storage fees; the construction-hours rule carries $100 to $500, then $250 to $500 (15.50.082); Chapter 15.51 carries $100 to $500, up to 90 days, or both, each day a separate offense (15.51.090); disturbing the peace is a misdemeanor (15.46.030).

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

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. St. Louis 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 St. Louis are 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (50 dBA stationary, A–E); no construction before 6 a.m. or after dusk Mon–Sat. The St. Louis 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 St. Louis in general? The St. Louis 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 St. Louis?

Per stlouis-mo.gov: the St.

What are the quiet hours in St. Louis?

10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (50 dBA stationary, A–E); no construction before 6 a.m. or after dusk Mon–Sat. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the St. Louis noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in St. Louis?

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 St. Louis?

St. Louis 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.