Decibel Shield
Noise ordinances
City noise ordinances: quiet hours and decibel limits
Noise ordinances differ far more between cities than most people expect: Boston caps nighttime noise at 50 dBA at the lot line, Columbus measures a 1-hour average from inside the affected home, and Worcester sets no general decibel number at all — only "plainly audible" distance tests. Each city page below summarizes the official municipal code: quiet hours, the real limits, the exact code language, and where complaints actually go.
Last updated:
| City | Quiet hours | Limit type |
|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. | dB limits + audibility |
| Worcester, MA | No single window — activity-specific nighttime rules | audibility standard |
| Huntsville, AL | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. | dB limits |
| Chesapeake, VA | 10:00 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. Mon–Sat; 10:00 p.m. Sat – 8:00 a.m. Sun | dB limits + audibility |
| Madison, WI | No single window — activity-specific rules (construction, amplification, collection) | dB limits |
| Inglewood, CA | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (night base level applies) | dB limits |
| Rockford, IL | Tiered: outdoor amplified music banned 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. near residences | audibility standard |
| Columbus, OH | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. | dB limits + audibility |
How these pages are made
Every summary is researched from the city's official codified text (the municipal code hosts cities actually publish to), quotes the code verbatim, and is then independently re-checked against the live code before publishing — the verification date is shown on each page. Where a city has no decibel limit, the page says so plainly rather than inventing a number. These are plain-language summaries, not legal advice; each page links the official code.
Dealing with a noise problem?
The noise complaints guide covers the general playbook, the free online decibel meter measures the actual level where you are (nothing is recorded or uploaded), and every US city above also has a transportation-noise map and ranking.