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Austin noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints
Austin, TX regulates noise under The Code of the City of Austin. Quiet hours: 10:30 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: no noise or music audible next door (Sec. 9-2-3). Some sources carry numeric decibel limits, others are judged by audibility. Below: the exact code language, who actually takes complaints, and a link to the official text.
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| Quiet hours | 10:30 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: no noise or music audible next door (Sec. 9-2-3) |
|---|---|
| Limit type | Both: decibel limits plus audibility rules |
| Headline limit | 85 dB at the property line for sound equipment at a business, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.; 75 dB and a 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. ban for sound equipment in residential areas (Secs. 9-2-4, 9-2-5) |
| Official code | The Code of the City of Austin |
Quiet hours in Austin
Sec. 9-2-3(A)(2): a person may not make noise or play a musical instrument audible to an adjacent business or residence between 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sec. 9-2-5(B): in residential areas, sound equipment audible beyond the property line of a residence is banned between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Sec. 9-2-4(2): sound equipment at a business may not be audible at the business's property line between 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Sec. 9-2-3(A)(3): sand, rock or gravel machinery within 600 feet of a residence, church, hospital, hotel or motel is barred 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and (A)(4) refrigeration or freezer vehicles audible at a residence 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Permitted outdoor music (Sec. 9-2-30) runs from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11:00 p.m. Thursday, and midnight Friday, Saturday and the night before New Year's Day, with later cut-offs in the Warehouse, Sixth Street and Red River districts and during the spring festival season.
Decibel limits
Yes, for sound equipment. Sec. 9-2-4: sound equipment at a business may not exceed 85 decibels between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., measured at the property line of the business, and may not be audible at the property line at all between 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Sec. 9-2-5(C): sound equipment in a residential area may not produce sound in excess of 75 decibels audible beyond the property line of a residence. Sec. 9-2-30: permitted outdoor music venues may run up to 85 decibels within their hours, limited to 70 decibels when the venue is associated with a restaurant use, measured with a decibel meter approved by the music office. Noise that is not from sound equipment is judged by audibility (Sec. 9-2-3), not a number.
What the ordinance actually says
Sec. 9-2-3(A): a person may not "make noise or play a musical instrument audible to an adjacent business or residence between 10:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m."
Sec. 9-2-4: "A person may not operate sound equipment at a business that produces sound: (1) in excess of 85 decibels between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., as measured at the property line of the business; or (2) is audible at the property line of the business between 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m."
Sec. 9-2-5(B)–(C): "A person may not use sound equipment that produces sound audible beyond the property line of a residence in a residential area between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m." and "A person may not use sound equipment audible beyond the property line of a residence in a residential area that produces sound in excess of 75 decibels."
Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (The Code of the City of Austin, Texas, Title 9 (Prohibited Activities), Chapter 9-2 "Noise and Amplified Sound," Sections 9-2-1 through 9-2-50 (1992 Code Sections 10-5-1 et seq.; Ord. 031023-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20110210-029 and later amendments)). Verified against the live code on 2026-09-03. 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 Austin
Austin 3-1-1 (512-974-2000 from outside the area, or the Austin 3-1-1 app): a "Non Emergency Noise Complaint" is routed to the Austin Police Department; code violations, including short-term rental noise, go to Development Services through the same 3-1-1 request (austintexas.gov, "Report a code violation"; 311.austintexas.gov).
Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Austin. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.
Worth knowing
Two different clocks apply at once: the 10:30 p.m. audibility rule for anyone (Sec. 9-2-3) and the 10:00 p.m. residential sound-equipment ban (Sec. 9-2-5). Vehicle sound systems are an offence if audible or felt 30 feet from the equipment, and watercraft at 100 feet (Sec. 9-2-3(A)(5)–(6)), with an affirmative defence for loading, unloading or servicing that complies with code. Live music permits carry their own decibel limits, sound impact plans and a good-neighbour policy (Secs. 9-2-30 to 9-2-41), administered by the city's music office; permitted venues in named entertainment districts and during the spring festival season may run to 2:00 a.m. A permit under Sec. 9-2-21 allows concrete pours outside peak hours.
Document it before you report it
Austin'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 Austin noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.