Noise ordinances › Gilbert, AZ

Gilbert noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

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

Quiet hours in Gilbert

Gilbert has two overlapping night windows plus source-specific hours. (1) Community noise standards (42-61(e)(1)): the lower limits apply from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (residential 45, commercial 55, industrial 60 dB(A), measured indoors) and the higher limits from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (55, 65 and 70 dB(A)). (2) In residential areas, yelling, shouting or making unreasonably loud and disturbing noise, or allowing such noise on one's property, is unlawful between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and at any time when it disturbs the quiet, comfort or repose of a reasonable person of ordinary sensitivity (42-64(b)); the general rule against unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise in 42-64(a) has no hours. (3) Repairing, rebuilding or testing a motor vehicle in a residential area is unlawful between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. when it causes discomfort or annoyance to a reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area (42-62(c)(1)), and revving a stationary vehicle's engine is allowed only while repairing, adjusting or testing it between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (62-4(d)). (4) Muffled lawn maintenance equipment in residential areas is exempt from the noise level standards only from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; at other times it must meet the community noise standards (42-61(c)(2)). (5) Construction (42-63), unless a permit allows other times: concrete may be poured and concrete mixing trucks idled from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day; other construction work in or within 500 feet of a residential zone may run from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day, and work in commercial and industrial zones not within 500 feet of a residential zone may also run from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; notwithstanding those hours, on any Saturday, Sunday or holiday construction work may run only from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and concrete pouring from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (6) Work by or for the town, the state or the federal government between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is exempt from the noise level standards when public welfare and convenience make daytime work impractical (42-61(c)(13)). (7) Solid waste collection services may not be provided between 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless the director approves in advance in writing (66-272). (8) Use of permissible consumer fireworks is prohibited except on listed dates (May 4 to 6, June 24 to July 6, December 26 to January 3, and the second and third days of Diwali), generally from 8:01 a.m. to 10:59 p.m., with later hours to 11:59 p.m. on July 4 and December 31 and from 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on July 5 and January 1 (42-115(d)).

Decibel limits

Gilbert sets decibel limits. Sec. 42-61(e)(1) makes it unlawful to create noise that causes the level measured from the inside of a complainant's residential dwelling, enclosed commercial building or suite, or enclosed industrial building or suite, with the windows and doors closed, to exceed the community noise standards for more than 15 minutes in commercial and industrial areas and for more than five minutes in residential areas: Residential area 45 dB(A) from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and 55 dB(A) from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Commercial area 55 and 65 dB(A); Industrial area 60 and 70 dB(A). Areas follow zoning (residential: single-family or multi-family residential districts; commercial: commercial, HVC, NO, GO, GVC and GBC districts; industrial: BP, LI and GI districts), and if the measurement location is on a boundary between two zoning districts the lower standard applies (42-61(e)(2)). Measurement is A-weighted, slow response (fast response allowed for impulse or rapidly varying noise), with the meter verified and adjusted to the manufacturer's specifications by an acoustical calibrator before measuring (42-61(d)). Other numeric rules: power plant equipment must meet the industrial standards (42-62(a)); construction is unlawful if its noise exceeds the applicable community noise standards by five dB(a) at either the nearest property line or the affected area of the property, unless a permit has been obtained (42-63(a)); and vehicles may not exceed, at 50 feet from the center of the lane, 88 dB(A) where the speed limit is 35 mph or less and 92 dB(A) where it is more than 35 mph for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or more, combinations they tow and motorcycles other than motor-driven cycles, or 82 and 86 dB(A) for other vehicles (42-62(c)(4)). Exempt from the noise level standards (42-61(c)): air-conditioning, pool and spa equipment only when properly functioning and within the residential community noise standards; muffled lawn maintenance equipment (in commercial and industrial areas at any time, in residential areas 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.); non-amplified school, governmental or community group activities; safety signals and alarms; emergency vehicles and emergency work; trains; church chimes; organized sporting events; aircraft; public or utility stationary equipment; normal road traffic; night government work; and permitted special events. The meter is not the only route: Sec. 42-64 separately bans unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise in residential areas, judged on fourteen listed factors including volume, intensity, background noise, proximity to sleeping facilities, time of day, duration, and whether it is a pure tone or impulse noise, and the evidence may include officer observations, witness statements, photographs, video or audio recordings, "data from a noise app" and a noise nuisance log (42-64(c)–(d)).

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 42-61(e)(1): "It is unlawful for any person to create any noise which would cause the noise level measured from the inside, with the windows and doors closed, of a complainant's residential dwelling, enclosed commercial building or suite, or enclosed industrial building or suite to exceed the following community noise standards for more than 15 minutes in commercial areas and industrial areas and for more than five minutes in residential areas"

Sec. 42-64(a): "Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, and in addition thereto, it shall be unlawful in residential areas for any person without justification to make or continue, or cause or permit to be made or continued, any unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise, which disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area."

Sec. 42-64(b): "Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, and in addition thereto, it shall be unlawful in residential areas for any person without justification to yell, shout, make unreasonably loud and disturbing noise, or allow any such noises to occur on one's property, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time so as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of a reasonable person of ordinary sensitivity."

Sec. 42-64(d): "The evidence that may be considered in determining whether a violation of the provisions of this section exists may include any of the following evidence: officer observations, witness statement, photograph, video recording, audio recording, data from a noise app, noise nuisance log, and any other type of evidence as determined by the officer."

Sec. 42-63(c): "Notwithstanding the foregoing, construction work shall not begin prior to 7:00 a.m. and must stop by 7:00 p.m. and concrete pouring shall not begin prior to 6:00 a.m. and must stop by 7:00 p.m. on any Saturday, Sunday or holiday, unless such other times are authorized by permit."

Sec. 6-2: "It is unlawful to keep or harbor any animal which by frequent, habitual or continued noise shall cause an annoyance or inconvenience to a neighbor or to people passing to and from upon the public streets or sidewalks. No summons and complaint shall be issued nor shall there be a conviction for violation of this section unless there are at least two complaining witnesses from separate households who shall have signed such complaint and shall have testified at trial."

Sec. 42-65(b)(1): "A person who violates section 42-64 shall be guilty of a petty offense, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $2,500.00. Each day that a violation continues shall be a separate offense."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Code of Gilbert, Arizona (Town of Gilbert), Chapter 42 "Offenses and Abatement of Public Nuisances," Article III "Offenses Involving Public Peace and Order," Division 1 "Generally": Sec. 42-61 Noise (Code 1984, § 10-1-12; Ord. No. 1245, 2-15-00; Ord. No. 1363, 8-21-01; Ord. No. 1410, 7-23-02; Ord. No. 1479, 5-27-03; Ord. No. 2649, § I, 2-15-18), Sec. 42-62 Special noise sources (Ord. No. 1410, 7-23-02, as amended through Ord. No. 2930, § 1, 12-17-24), Sec. 42-63 Construction of buildings and projects (Ord. No. 1245, 2-15-00, as amended through Ord. No. 2966, § I, 10-28-25), Sec. 42-64 Unnecessary noise in residential areas (Ord. No. 2649, § I, 2-15-18) and Sec. 42-65 Penalties; Division 3 "Unruly Gatherings," Secs. 42-90 through 42-96 (Ord. No. 2902, § 1, 5-21-24); with Sec. 6-2 Noisy animals, Sec. 62-4 Unnecessary vehicle noise (Ord. No. 2925, § 1, 12-17-25), Sec. 42-115(d) (consumer fireworks), Sec. 66-272 (hours of solid waste collection), Sec. 46-35 (parks), Secs. 15-40 and 15-52 (special events, parades) and Sec. 1-5 General penalty. Text read on Municode, the Town's code host (Supp. No. 103, codified through Ordinance No. 2986, enacted June 9, 2026), on 2026-10-05.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-05. 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 Gilbert

Per gilbertaz.gov's Contact GPD page: "Non-Emergency: (480) 503-6500 | TTY: (480) 503-6505" and "In Progress Crime or Emergency: 9-1-1." The Gilbert 311 page says not to use the 311 app or website for noise: "This system is not monitored 24/7 and cannot be used to report emergencies or in-progress police issues such as noise complaints, speeding or other crimes. Please contact the Gilbert Police Department directly for assistance with these issues." Per the Code Compliance FAQ on gilbertaz.gov, barking dogs "are addressed by the Gilbert Police Department and the Code Compliance Department on a complaint basis," and "the Town cannot move forward with court action without having the required two complainants"; the same FAQ refers early-morning construction noise to Sec. 42-63 and lists the Code Compliance Department at 480-503-6879. The FAQ paraphrases older wording (it quotes the barking rule as covering "any dog"; the codified 6-2 covers any animal). Under the code, the police chief and his or her designees, including code enforcement officers as applicable, enforce the noise division and may seek voluntary compliance by warning, notice or education (42-65(d)); construction-hour permits and stop orders come from the building and code compliance department (42-63(d), (f)); and permits for loudspeakers and sound amplifiers in public areas come from the chief of police (42-62(b)). Sources: https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/police/contact-gpd, https://www.gilbertaz.gov/government/gilbert-311 and https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/development-services/plan-review-inspection/inspection-code-compliance/code-compliance/faq-municipal-code-land-development-code.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Gilbert. 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) The meter reading is taken indoors: the community noise standards are measured inside the complainant's dwelling or enclosed building with the windows and doors closed, not at the property line, and the level must stay above the limit for more than five minutes in a residential area (more than 15 in commercial and industrial areas). (2) The Town's own "Noise Ordinance" web page (https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/development-services/plan-review-inspection/inspection-code-compliance/ordinances/noise-ordinance) reproduces an older text of Secs. 42-61 through 42-64 that no longer matches the codified code: it says the standards must be exceeded "for more than 15 minutes in duration and more than two times in one hour," includes an ambient-noise rule as subsection (e)(3), gives concrete hours of 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and lacks the 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. rule and the evidence list in 42-64. The codified text (42-61 and 42-64 as amended by Ord. No. 2649, 2-15-18; 42-63 as amended by Ord. No. 2966, 10-28-25) is what this page describes. A related leftover: 42-62(a) and 42-63(a) still refer to "section 42-61(e)(1) and (3)," but 42-61(e) no longer has a subsection (3). (3) Penalties run on two tracks: violations of the meter, special-source and construction sections (42-61 to 42-63) are civil, $100 to $500 for each violation (42-65(a)(1)), and after three or more civil violations of the division within 24 months a person is a habitual offender facing a criminal misdemeanor with up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 and a mandatory minimum fine of $500 per count (42-65(a)(2)). Violations of the reasonable-person rules in 42-64 are a petty offense with a fine of up to $2,500, each day a separate offense (42-65(b)). Arizona's general sentencing statute, A.R.S. § 13-802(D), sets the fine for a petty offense at not more than $300; the town code does not address the difference. (4) Unruly gatherings (42-90 to 42-96): a party, gathering or event on public or private property that disturbs others' reasonable enjoyment of property, including excessive noise as reasonably evaluated by a police officer or code enforcement officer, is an unruly gathering; it is unlawful for a responsible person (owner, landlord, tenant, sponsor, host or organizer) to permit one and for anyone to engage in conduct causing a gathering to be unruly (42-92). An owner, landlord or tenant is liable only if present, or aware and took no reasonable action, or if one had taken place there within the prior 180 days (42-94). The civil penalty is $500 to $2,500; a violation after one prior civil finding within 18 months is a class one misdemeanor; and violators are liable for the Town's response costs, including police, fire, rescue, public works and emergency medical services and responders' salaries (42-95). (5) Barking and other animal noise (6-2) needs at least two complaining witnesses from separate households who sign the complaint and testify at trial; the sanction is civil under Sec. 1-5 (up to $500 unless another penalty is specified), and three or more prior civil violations of the Code within 18 months make the next a class one misdemeanor (1-5(e)). (6) Construction: besides the hours, construction is unlawful if its noise exceeds the community noise standards by 5 dB(A) at the nearest property line or affected area without a permit (42-63(a)); the building and code compliance director may grant permits for other hours after weighing listed factors, may revoke them on complaints based on substantial evidence, and may issue stop orders, and permit decisions can be appealed to the town council (42-63(d)–(f)). Gilbert's 4:00 a.m. concrete and 5:00 a.m. weekday start already allow the hours that A.R.S. § 9-500.52 requires cities to allow for permitted summer construction. (7) Amplified sound in public areas: playing a sound truck, loudspeaker, amplified instrument or similar device that emits unreasonable noise from public areas requires a permit from the chief of police (42-62(b)), and special event and parade participants may not use amplification above the decibel limits the Town imposes, or that Secs. 42-62 through 42-65 impose, unless the permit authorizes it (15-40, 15-52). (8) Signed zones: noise on a street, sidewalk or public place next to a school or church in use, or a hospital, that unreasonably interferes with it is unlawful where conspicuous signs are posted (42-62(e)). (9) Vehicles: engine brakes that make more noise than the vehicle otherwise would are banned in town except for public safety vehicles (42-62(c)(3)); intentionally, knowingly or recklessly squealing tires, using a horn other than as the law allows, making disturbing or unreasonably loud exhaust noise, or revving a stationary engine (except while repairing, adjusting or testing the vehicle between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.) are civil traffic violations (62-4). (10) In town recreation facilities and the riparian preserve, unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise is unlawful only after a reasonable request by a park ranger or other authorized town employee to stop (46-35).

Document it before you report it

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