How to file a noise complaint in Winston-Salem

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 Winston-Salem acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Winston-Salem noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	Music "particularly" 11 p.m. – 7 a.m.; mowers and tools near homes 10 p.m. – 6 a.m.
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Code of Ordinances

Official text: Code of Ordinances, City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Part III, Chapter 46 "Noise": Article I "In General," Sec. 46-2 (loud and disturbing noise; enacted new by Ord. No. 26-0066, 3-23-26, replacing the former section that adopted the county noise ordinance, and amended by Ord. No. 26-0252, 6-22-26), Sec. 46-4 (streets adjacent to hospitals designated quiet zones), Sec. 46-5 (sounds impacting residential life), Sec. 46-6 (exemptions), Sec. 46-7 (outdoor amplification and music at commercial establishments; enacted new by Ord. No. 26-0252, 6-22-26), Sec. 46-8 (standard for stadiums, arenas and outdoor sports or entertainment facilities; Ord. No. 26-0066 and Ord. No. 26-0252) and Sec. 46-9 (enforcement and penalties; chronic commercial establishment noise; Ord. No. 26-0252), with the former penalty section 46-1 repealed by Ord. No. 26-0252; Article II "Sound Trucks and Sound Amplifying Equipment," Secs. 46-31 through 46-36; with Secs. 6-8 to 6-11 (noisy fowl and dogs), 38-26 (cafes and restaurants in residential districts), 42-94(b) (motorcycle noise), 62-4(b)(1) (vehicle repair in residential areas) and 74-400 (street performances). Text read on Municode (library.municode.com, the City's code host: "Codified through Ordinance No. 26-0283, enacted June 22, 2026. (Supp. No. 103)"; the one uncodified ordinance Municode lists, No. 26-0353 (adopted 9-8-26), amends Sec. 38-10 on rifle discharge by wildlife officers at Smith Reynolds Airport and does not touch Chapter 46) on 2026-10-05..

Where to file in Winston-Salem

Per the Winston-Salem Police Department's 911 FAQ on cityofws.org: "If the emergency is not life threatening, please call our non-emergency contact number at 336-773-7700"; the page's police footer lists "Emergency Phone: 911" and "Non-Emergency/Information Phone: 336-773-7700." The Police Telcom page says "Call the Telcom Unit to report non-emergency incidents at 336-773-7700" and offers online Police-to-Citizen (P2C) reports, whose listed examples (aggressive driving, identity theft, larceny, police service) do not include noise. CityLink, the City's 311 service, takes requests at (336) 727-8000 (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday) and through its 311 portal and app, but its page does not mention noise. None of these pages names noise specifically. Under the code, civil penalties are assessed "by a police officer" (46-9(a)(1)); for barking dogs and crowing fowl, a complaint is made to the police department, whose representative notifies the person keeping the animals, who must abate the nuisance within 24 hours (6-10); and for ice cream truck violations "It shall be the responsibility of the complainant ... to obtain the necessary warrant" (46-35(b)). Permits for commercial and noncommercial amplified sound on streets and in parks come from the office of economic development, applied for at least 48 hours ahead (46-32, 46-33). Sources: https://www.cityofws.org/Faq.aspx?QID=206 and https://www.cityofws.org/1116/Telcom and https://www.cityofws.org/172/CityLink.

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. Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem are Music "particularly" 11 p.m. – 7 a.m.; mowers and tools near homes 10 p.m. – 6 a.m.. The Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem in general? The Winston-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 Winston-Salem?

What are the quiet hours in Winston-Salem?

Music "particularly" 11 p.m. – 7 a.m.; mowers and tools near homes 10 p.m. – 6 a.m.. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Winston-Salem noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Winston-Salem?

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 Winston-Salem?

Winston-Salem 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.