Noise ordinances › Aurora, CO

Aurora noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 1, 2026

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Quiet hours in Aurora

The decibel table's night runs from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (Table 4.11-1), when the residential limit falls from 55 to 45 dB(A) and the other zones drop 5 dB(A); Sec. 146-4.4.8 uses the same 9:00 p.m. / 7:00 a.m. split for lots that abut "Protected Lots" (R-R, R-1 and R-2 lots, and PD lots with single-family detached or two-family homes). A second clock governs public-address equipment: using a loudspeaker, public address system or similar device between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in a manner that creates a noise disturbance to a residential real property boundary is prohibited unless authorized by a temporary permit (146-4.11.2.E.1.c), and a police permit for sound equipment on a motor vehicle may authorize use only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., for one day (94-109(d)). The noise provisions give construction no curfew, only a sliding limit: under note [1] to Table 4.11-1 it is held to the I-2 standards (80 dB(A)) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the I-1 standards (70 dB(A)) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the standards for the adjacent land uses (45 dB(A) next to residential land) from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.; trash compactor trucks are held to the I-2 standards at all times. Section 146-4.4.8, which applies "Notwithstanding" 146-4.11.2 and has no construction allowance, still caps noise at a Protected Lot's property line at 55 dB(A) by day and 45 at night for the abutting lots listed in 146-4.4.2. The City Code offense in 94-107(a) contains no hours; its 150-foot buffer against unnecessary noise applies to a school during school hours, while the hospital buffer in the same subsection carries no hours (94-107(b)).

Decibel limits

Yes, in the zoning code rather than the offenses chapter. Sec. 146-4.11.2.E.1.a prohibits sound levels exceeding the limits for the neighboring land zone in Table 4.11-1 "when measured at or within the property boundary of the neighboring land zone": Residential 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 45 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Commercial or Mixed-Use 60 / 55; I-1 zone district 70 / 65; I-2 zone district 80 / 75; where there is more than one adjacent land use, the more restrictive standard applies (note [2]). Measurement: a sound level meter meeting ANSI S1.4-1974 or its successor, Type I or Type II (146-4.11.2.E). Modifiers: periodic, impulsive or shrill sounds are held 5 dB(A) below the table (E.1.e, whose text says "between 7:00 am and 9:00"); construction and trash compactor trucks follow note [1]; radios, loudspeakers, instruments, televisions and other sound devices are named expressly (E.1.b); idling a motor vehicle more than 15 minutes in any hour is prohibited, with exceptions for engines that must idle for safety (such as cranes and forklifts) and for freight drivers sleeping in their cabs at least a quarter mile from homes and residential districts (E.1.d). The table gives way where another code or ordinance sets a different standard for a specific use or context (E.1). Sec. 146-4.4.8 separately caps noise at the property line of each Protected Lot (R-R, R-1 and R-2 lots, and PD lots with single-family detached or two-family homes) at 55 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and 45 dB(A) from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., "notwithstanding" 4.11.2 and 94-107, for the mixed-use and special-purpose lots, and the R-3 or R-4 lots with buildings of three or more stories, that abut them (146-4.4.2). Exempt from the sound level regulations (E.3): safety signals, warning devices and emergency vehicles; activities under a special use permit, including parades and fireworks; and City-sanctioned activities, including those at City parks and recreational facilities. Without a meter: Sec. 94-107(a) makes "any unreasonably loud or unusual noise which seriously inconveniences other persons in the area" unlawful and lets a police officer make a prima facie determination that it is a public nuisance, and 94-107(e) says the section is "cumulative and notwithstanding" Chapter 146. Vehicle sound systems: unlawful if "plainly audible at 25 feet from the motor vehicle" without a permit, where plainly audible means the information content is unambiguously transferred, such as understanding of speech or comprehension of musical rhythms (94-109(a), (c)). Barking dogs: frequent, habitual or continued barking that annoys the neighbors (14-72).

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 94-107(a): "Public and private places. It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any unreasonably loud or unusual noise which seriously inconveniences other persons in the area. For purposes of this section, a member of the police department is empowered to make a prima facie determination as to whether such noises constitute a public nuisance."

Sec. 94-107(e): "Restrictions. The restrictions of this section are cumulative and notwithstanding the requirements found in chapter 146 of this Code."

Sec. 146-4.11.2.E.1.a: "Generating sound levels that exceed the limits established in the neighboring land zone category specified in Table 4.11-1 when measured at or within the property boundary of the neighboring land zone."

Sec. 146-4.11.2.E.2, Table 4.11-1, note [1]: "Construction work is subject to standards applicable to the I-2 district from 7 am to 5 pm, the standards applicable to the I-1 district from 5 pm to 9 pm, and the standards based on adjacent land uses between 9 pm and 7am. Operation of trash compactor trucks is subject to the standards applicable to the I-2 district at all times."

Sec. 146-4.4.8: "Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 146-4.11.2 or Chapter 94-107 (Unnecessary Noise; Disturbing the Peace), the noise level measured at the property line of each Protected Lot must not exceed 55 decibels (dBA) from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. of the same day, and may not exceed 45 dBA from 9:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. of the next day."

Sec. 146-4.11.2.E.1.c: "Using or operating any loudspeaker, public address system, or similar device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., in a manner that creates a noise disturbance to a residential real property boundary is prohibited, unless the activity is authorized by a temporary permit."

Sec. 146-4.11.2.E.1.e: "Emitting periodic, impulsive, or shrill sounds that exceed five dBA less than the maximum permitted between 7:00 am and 9:00 in Table 4.11-1."

Sec. 94-109(a): "Prohibition. No person shall use or operate or allow to be used or operated any loudspeaker, public address system, radio, tape player, disc player or other sound amplifying equipment in or on a motor vehicle in such a manner as to be plainly audible at 25 feet from the motor vehicle unless a permit has been issued pursuant to subsection (d) of this section which allows such amplification. If such a permit has been issued, the intensity and loudness of any amplified sound which is transmitted shall comply with the provisions of chapter 146."

Sec. 14-72: "It shall be unlawful to keep or harbor any dog which by frequent, habitual, or continued barking, yelping, or howling shall cause an annoyance or inconvenience to the neighbors. No summons and complaint shall be issued nor shall there be a conviction for violation of this section unless there are at least two or more complaining witnesses from separate households who shall have signed a complaint form stating the date, time, and how the barking caused an annoyance or inconvenience to the complaining party."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Aurora City Code, Chapter 94 "Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions," Article IV "Offenses against Public Peace and Safety," Division 1: Sec. 94-107 "Unnecessary noise; disturbing the peace" (Code 1979, § 27-67) and Sec. 94-109 "Sound amplifying equipment" (Ord. No. 95-92, 10-30-1995); Chapter 14, Sec. 14-72 "Keeping barking dogs" (Code 1979, § 7-23; Ord. No. 2020-55); Sec. 1-13 general penalty; Chapter 106, Secs. 106-92(a)(4) and 106-93(c) (noise variances before the Board of Adjustment and Appeals); Sec. 62-61 (criminal nuisance property); and Chapter 146, the Unified Development Ordinance: Sec. 146-4.11.2.E "Noise" with Table 4.11-1 "Maximum Permissible Sound Levels" (Ord. No. 2019-49, 08-19-2019; Ord. No. 2020-37, 10-05-2020), Sec. 146-4.4.8 "Noise" in the neighborhood protection standards (Ord. No. 2019-49), and Sec. 146-5.6 "Enforcement and Penalties." Text read on aurora.municipal.codes (the City's code host; City Code current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026; UDO current through Ordinance 2026-03, passed February 23, 2026) on 2026-10-01.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-01. Ordinances get amended — before acting on a specific provision, check the linked official code. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

How to file a noise complaint in Aurora

Per auroragov.org, "Aurora 911" page: "If this is an emergency, please call 9-1-1. If you need a non-emergency police, fire or medical response, please call 303.627.3100" (Non-Emergency Phone: 303.627.3100); that page does not mention noise specifically, but 94-107 rests on a police officer's determination. The City's "Code Enforcement Response Priorities" page lists "Noise nuisance" among Priority 2 complaints, which receive an initial inspection within 48 hours, and sends barking dogs to Animal Services; the "Code Enforcement" page says to report a code violation by calling 303.739.7000 or making a report online (Access Aurora, also an app; open by phone 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday per the Aurora 911 page). The Director of Neighborhood Services enforces the UDO, including the decibel table (146-5.6.2.A). For barking dogs, the Animal Services "Barking Dogs" page says to call 303.326.8288 or file through Access Aurora; Animal Services first sends a written warning, then a court summons if the barking does not improve, and a prosecution requires signed complaint forms from at least two complaining witnesses in separate households who are willing to testify (14-72). Penalties: a violation of 94-107 or 94-109 is punished under the general penalty, a fine of up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or both, each day a separate offense (1-13(a)), and UDO violations are punishable under the same section (146-5.6.3.B). Variances from the Chapter 146 noise provisions go to the Board of Adjustment and Appeals (106-92(a)(4)).

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Aurora. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

(1) Two codes, two standards: the decibel limits live in the zoning code (the Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 146), enforced by Neighborhood Services, while the police offense in 94-107 needs no meter at all and declares its restrictions "cumulative and notwithstanding" Chapter 146 (94-107(e)). (2) The residential night limit is 45 dB(A), and the table's night starts at 9:00 p.m., an hour before the 10:00 p.m. used by the loudspeaker rule; the daytime residential limit is 55 dB(A). (3) Three different clocks: the decibel table switches at 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., the loudspeaker rule runs 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and vehicle sound permits may cover only 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (4) The noise provisions give construction no curfew; under the table it may run at 80 dB(A) until 5 p.m. and 70 dB(A) until 9 p.m., then must meet the neighbors' night limit, which next to homes is 45 dB(A) (note [1]); 146-4.4.8, which has no construction allowance, still caps noise at a Protected Lot's property line at 55 / 45 dB(A) for the abutting lots it covers. (5) Car stereos: the 25-foot test turns on whether the content is "unambiguously transferred," and the definition lists "comprehension of musical rhythms" among its examples; permits for vehicle sound equipment are limited to one day each and five per person per calendar year (94-109(c), (d)). (6) Barking-dog cases need two households: complaint forms signed by at least two witnesses from separate households, who must be willing to testify; a witness who fails to testify is not counted as willing for later complaints, and the animal protection officer need not appear (14-72). (7) Drafting slips in the text: E.1.e sets the impulsive-sound rule by reference to "between 7:00 am and 9:00" with no a.m. or p.m. after 9:00, and the noise-variance standards in 106-93(c) still refer to "division 8 of article XVII of chapter 146," a numbering that does not appear in the current Chapter 146, which is organized as Articles 146-1 through 146-6. (8) Repeat noise can reach the property: "Repeatedly disturbing the peace" under 94-107 is one of the listed activities that make a building "criminal nuisance property" (62-61). (9) Penalties are heavy for a municipal code: up to $2,650 and 364 days per offense, each day separate (1-13). (10) Code Enforcement treats noise nuisance as a Priority 2 case with a 48-hour initial inspection target, and sends barking dogs to Animal Services. (11) Activities under a special use permit (parades, fireworks) and City-sanctioned activities in City parks are exempt from the decibel regulations (E.3).

Document it before you report it

Aurora's limits are measured numbers, so a reading is direct evidence of how loud it really is. Take a quick reading with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser and records nothing — and check how loud your block is on the Aurora noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.