Noise ordinances › Columbus, OH

Columbus noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: July 11, 2026

Quiet hours in Columbus

10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. — the nighttime band in § 2329.11(B) Table I (lower dBA limits apply for institutional, residential, and commercial receiving land uses), and the hours in § 2329.11(C)(2)(c) during which sound from non-residential property may not be audible at the property line of a residential unit 100+ feet away.

Decibel limits

Yes — § 2329.11(B)(1) Table I sets maximum 1-hour AVERAGE sound levels (dBA) by RECEIVING land-use category, measured over not less than 60 consecutive minutes FROM WITHIN the affected building: Institutional 60 dBA (10pm–7am) / 65 dBA (7am–10pm); Residential (all categories) 60 dBA (10pm–7am) / 65 dBA (7am–10pm); Commercial 70 dBA (10pm–7am) / 75 dBA (7am–10pm); Manufacturing 80 dBA anytime. Layered on top are audibility (not dB) standards in (C)(2): sound from a residential unit may not be audible 50 ft beyond the property line — 25 ft between units in multi-unit/adjoining settings — and 10pm–7am sound from non-residential property may not be audible at a residential unit 100+ ft away. (C)(1) is a general "unreasonably loud and/or raucous noise" nuisance standard (person of ordinary sensibilities), strict liability.

What the ordinance actually says

§ 2329.11(C)(1): "No person shall make or allow to be made any unreasonably loud and/or raucous noise in such a manner or at such a volume as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of a person of ordinary sensibilities. Strict liability is intended to be imposed for a violation of this division."

§ 2329.11(C)(2)(a): "No person shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system, auditory device, or stationary sound source from a residential unit in a manner as to be audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet beyond the property line of the property from which the sound emanates."

§ 2329.11(B)(1): "The maximum allowable hourly average sound level shall not exceed the limits set forth in Table I for the respective categories of receiving land use. The actual sound level shall be determined during any measurement period, which shall not be less than sixty (60) consecutive minutes, and shall be measured from within the building or structure affected by the sound."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Columbus City Codes § 2329.11 "Community noise" (Title 23 General Offenses Code, Chapter 2329 — Health, Safety and Sanitation); codified through Ord. No. 0923-2026 (Supp. No. 85, 6/26). Last amended by Ord. 1374-2022 (eff. 12-11-2023).). Verified against the live code on 2026-07-11. 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 Columbus

Columbus 311 Customer Service Center — "your one-stop shop for all non-emergency City services": call (614) 645-3111 (Mon–Fri 7:00 AM–7:00 PM), submit online 24/7 at columbus.gov/311 (Submit a Request or Report), email 311@columbus.gov, or use the CBUS 311 mobile app (iPhone/Android). Sources: https://www.columbus.gov/311-Customer-Service-Center and https://www.columbus.gov/Services/Submit-a-Request-or-Report-311. Under § 2329.11(I), enforcement power is shared by the Department of Public Health, the Division of Police, and the Department of Building and Zoning Services.

For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

Unusual measurement rule: dBA limits are hourly AVERAGES measured from INSIDE the affected building over at least 60 consecutive minutes (not instantaneous property-line readings). Exemptions (§ D): emergency alerts/work, public-safety warning devices, permitted/licensed outdoor events (via Building & Zoning Services License Section or Rec & Parks Special Events), authorized public works, and code-compliance property maintenance between 7am–10pm (no general construction-hours section; permitted maintenance noise is only exempt 7am–10pm). Penalties (§ K): first offense is a minor misdemeanor; escalates to a 4th-degree misdemeanor if the offender persists after a warning/request to desist within a 12-hour period, or on any prior § 2329.11 conviction. Owners of NON-residential property face civil fines of $500 (1st), $1,000 (2nd), $5,000 (3rd+ within one year), with affirmative defenses for leased or unlawfully occupied property and appeal to the property maintenance appeals board. Variances from the dB table are available from the Columbus Board of Health ($100 application fee, decision within 30 days), including hardship from a neighboring rezoning that changed the receiving land-use category. Grandfathering: an established compliant use keeps the receiving-land-use categories that existed when it was established, unaffected by later rezonings (§ E(2)). ANSI definitions govern; enforcement staff may use sound level meters (§ I(2)).

Document it before you report it

Columbus'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 Columbus noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.