Noise ordinances › Howard County, MD

Howard County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 9, 2026

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Quiet hours in Howard County

Sec. 8.900 sets a day and night clock for its decibel limits; it does not ban noise at night as such. Daytime hours are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and nighttime hours are 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., local time (Sec. 8.900(a)(2), (3)), the same hours as Maryland's state standard (COMAR 26.02.03.01). At night the limit for noise received on residential property falls from 65 to 55 dBA. Construction and demolition sites may reach 90 dBA during daytime hours and must meet the Table 1 levels during nighttime hours (Sec. 8.900(b)(2)). Lawn care and snow removal equipment is exempt during daytime hours only (Sec. 8.900(d)(3)). Blasting and pile driving are exempt only between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Sec. 8.900(d)(5), (10)). Sound that is not electronically amplified, from sporting, amusement and entertainment events and other public gatherings operating under terms and conditions imposed by the County, is exempt between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight (Sec. 8.900(d)(11)). Household tools and portable appliances in normal usage are exempt at any hour (Sec. 8.900(d)(2)); the state regulation exempts them in daytime hours only. One kind of venue has its own clock under state law: at an outdoor concert venue in Howard County with a capacity of over 15,000 people, the County noise rules that were in effect on October 1, 2013 do not apply to electronically amplified sound. State law protects that sound up to set levels, by distance from the main stage, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. and up to 55 dBA at a residential property line between 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., and bars it between 11:30 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., except for an activity sponsored or authorized by the Howard County Public School System between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. (Environment Article § 3-401(c)(7)).

Decibel limits

Yes. Sec. 8.900(b)(1) bars noise from any property that is received on residential property above the levels in Table 1 of COMAR 26.02.03.02B(1), Maryland's environmental noise standards. That table, "Maximum Allowable Noise Levels (dBA) for Receiving Land Use Categories", sets 65 dBA by day and 55 dBA at night for residential land. Its other columns are 67 dBA by day and 62 dBA at night for commercial land and 75 dBA day and night for industrial land, but the County section is written only for noise received on residential property. dBA has the meaning in COMAR 26.02.03.01 (Sec. 8.900(a)(1)): the sound level in decibels on the A-weighting network of a sound level meter. Readings are taken at points on or within the property line of the receiving property or the boundary of a zoning district, with a meter that meets or exceeds the ANSI S1.4-1971 specifications for Type II sound level meters (Sec. 8.900(c)). Construction and demolition-site activities: 90 dBA during daytime hours, and the Table 1 levels during nighttime hours (Sec. 8.900(b)(2)). Air conditioning and heat pump equipment that cools or heats housing on residential property is outside the Table 1 rule but has its own cap: 70 dBA for air-conditioning equipment and 75 dBA for heat pump equipment at receiving residential property (Sec. 8.900(d)(14)). Sec. 8.900 points only to Table 1: it does not repeat the state regulation's rule that prominent discrete tones and periodic noises stay 5 dBA below the table, or its vibration rule (COMAR 26.02.03.02B(3), (4)). Sec. 8.900 has no plainly audible test and no unreasonable-noise test, so for neighbor noise the measured level is the test. Outdoor concert venue with a capacity of over 15,000 people (state law, Environment Article § 3-401(c)(7)): the County may not prohibit electronically amplified sound that, at a residential property line, is 85 dBA or lower within a 0.25 mile radius of the main stage, 72.5 dBA or lower between a 0.25 mile and a 0.75 mile radius, and 65 dBA or lower outside a 0.75 mile radius, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., and 55 dBA or lower in each of those areas between 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. The statute names no venue. The County Health Department's noise monitoring report for Merriweather Post Pavilion, Summer 2025, lists state legislation on outdoor concert venues in Howard County (it cites House Bill 677) among the rules it applies there, and says its allowable limits are set by the distance of the property line from the main stage, in the same three bands.

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 8.900(b)(1): "Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection and in subsection (d) of this section, a person may not cause or permit noise levels emanating from any property, such that the levels received on residential property exceed the levels contained in table 1 OF COMAR 26.02.03.02B.(1)."

Sec. 8.900(a)(2), (3): "Daytime hours means 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., local time." and "Nighttime hours means 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., local time."

Sec. 8.900(b)(2): "A person may not cause or permit noise levels emanating from construction or demolition-site activities that exceed: (i) During daytime hours, 90 dBA; or (ii) During nighttime hours, the levels specified in table 1 OF COMAR 26.02.03.02B.(1)."

Sec. 8.900(c)(1): "The measurement of noise levels under this subsection shall be conducted at points on or within the property line of the receiving property or the boundary of a zoning district, and may be conducted at any point for the determination of identity in multiple source situations."

Sec. 8.900(d)(14): "Air conditioning or heat pump equipment used to cool or heat housing on residential property. For this equipment, a person may not cause or permit noise levels which exceed 70 dBA for air-conditioning equipment at receiving residential property, and 75 dBA for heat pump equipment at receiving residential property."

Sec. 8.900(e)(1): "A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is subject to a fine of up to $100.00, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both."

Sec. 8.900(e)(3): "The health department may enforce the provisions of this section with civil penalties under title 24 of the Howard County Code if the noise complained of originates from commercial or industrial property."

Sec. 8.900(e)(4): "A first violation of this section is a Class E civil offense. A subsequent violation is a Class D civil offense."

Sec. 8.901(a): "A person or entity shall not promote, organize, or host any party or other entertainment for profit at a residential property that is rented or used for a period of 30 days or less to which the general public is admitted."

Sec. 17.309(a)(4): "For a violation of disturbing the public peace, a sworn statement from a citizen concerning three separate incidents that occurred not less than two days apart and not more than 30 days apart, if the statement is received within 30 days of the most recent incident;"

COMAR 26.02.03.02 B(1): "A person may not cause or permit noise levels which exceed those specified in this table except as provided in §B(2) or (3), or §C, of this regulation."

Environment Article § 3-401(c)(7)(v): "the noise control ordinances, rules, or regulations adopted by Howard County and in effect on October 1, 2013, do not apply to the electronic amplification of sound at an outdoor concert venue in the county with a capacity of over 15,000 individuals."

Environment Article § 3-401(c)(7)(iv)1: "an outdoor concert venue with a capacity of over 15,000 individuals may not produce any electronic amplification of sound between 11:30 p.m. and 9:00 a.m."

Quoted verbatim from the official text (Howard County Code Title 8 (Crimes and Misdemeanors), Subtitle 9 (Noise), with related County and state provisions. Howard County Code on Municode, "Codified through Bill No. 21-2026, adopted April 9, 2026. (Supp. No. 91)", online content updated on August 25, 2026: Sec. 8.900 "Noise affecting residential areas" (C.B. 49, 1997, which repealed and replaced the 1985 section; C.B. 66, 2019, § 1) and Sec. 8.901 "For-profit parties at residential properties" (C.B. 58, 2025, § 1); Title 24 (Civil Penalties), Secs. 24.100 to 24.111 (C.B. 31, 1985, as amended); Title 17, Subtitle 3 (Animals), Secs. 17.300, 17.302, 17.309 and 17.318 (C.B. 51, 2004, as amended through C.B. 58, 2024, § 1); Title 12, Sec. 12.110 (Nuisances). None of the seven adopted measures Municode lists as not yet codified concerns noise, going by their titles. State law that Sec. 8.900 points to: Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 26.02.03.01 (definitions) and 26.02.03.02 (Environmental Noise Standards, Table 1), read on regs.maryland.gov; Annotated Code of Maryland, Environment Article § 3-401, read on mgaleg.maryland.gov. Text read 2026-11-09.). Verified against the live code on 2026-11-09. 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 Howard County

For a neighbor's noise, the enforcer is the Howard County Police Department (Sec. 8.900(e)(2)): the County's contact page lists 410-313-2200 for police non-emergencies and 911 for emergencies. No County page we read says how to report a neighbor's noise, so that is the general police non-emergency line, not a dedicated noise line. The same page lists 410-313-3200 for general police questions. The Health Department's 2025 Merriweather Post Pavilion report describes concert noise complaints being called in to the Police Department, which relays them to Health Department staff. For noise from a business, the Health Department may also enforce Sec. 8.900 when the noise complained of originates from commercial or industrial property (Sec. 8.900(e)(3)), and its complaints page lists noise pollution from commercial buildings among the concerns its form covers: call the Community Hygiene Program at 410-313-1773 or use the online Health Complaint Form on the Department's Accela portal, which lists filing a health complaint among the services available once you create an account (Bureau of Environmental Health, 410-313-2640, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Columbia). That page says an inspector might contact you for details and that the Department will not reveal who made the complaint while it is investigating. The County's Report an Issue page has no noise category. For a barking dog or other animal noise, contact Animal Control at 410-313-2780 (8576 Davis Road, Columbia). Under the code, a domesticated animal that disturbs the public peace is a nuisance (Sec. 17.302(a)(9)), and enforcement can rest on the observation of the Animal Control Administrator, an Animal Control Officer or a Police Officer, or on a sworn statement from a citizen about three separate incidents that occurred not less than two days apart and not more than 30 days apart, received within 30 days of the most recent one (Sec. 17.309(a)). Penalties: a person who violates Sec. 8.900 is guilty of a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in jail, or both (Sec. 8.900(e)(1)). The Police Department, and the Health Department for commercial or industrial sources, may instead use civil penalties under Title 24: a first violation is a Class E civil offense, fined $25 to $50, and a subsequent violation is a Class D civil offense, fined $50 to $100 (Secs. 8.900(e)(4), 24.107). Each day a violation continues after a notice of violation or citation is a separate violation (Sec. 24.106), and a fine left unpaid 15 days after the formal notice brings an additional fine of up to the original amount (Sec. 24.109). Sources: https://library.municode.com/md/howard_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=HOCOCO_TIT24CIPE (Title 24), https://www.howardcountymd.gov/public-information/contact-us, https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/health-complaints, https://aca-prod.accela.com/EH_HOWARBPS/Login.aspx, https://www.howardcountymd.gov/report-issue, https://www.howardcountymd.gov/police/animal-control and https://cc.howardcountymd.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/8.900%20-%202025%20Noise%20Moniroting%20Summary%20for%20Merriwearther%20Post%20Pavillion%20Summer.pdf.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Howard County. 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) Jurisdiction: the Maryland Manual says Howard County has no incorporated towns or cities, so the County Code is the local noise law everywhere in the county, Columbia and Ellicott City included, and no city or town inside the county has a noise code of its own. (2) Homes only: Sec. 8.900 covers noise received on residential property. It sets no County limit for noise received at a shop, office or factory, although the state table it borrows has commercial and industrial columns. (3) A meter decides: the section has no plainly audible, unreasonable-noise or disturbance test, so a complaint about music or a party turns on a reading taken on or within the property line of the home that receives the noise. (4) The County's exemption list (Sec. 8.900(d)) is not the same as the state's. Household tools and portable appliances in normal usage are exempt at any hour, where the state regulation exempts them in daytime hours only. Blasting is exempt from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., where the state says daytime only. The County list does not include trash collection, household pets or marina equipment, which the state regulation exempts (COMAR 26.02.03.02C(2)(n), (p), (q)). Also exempt under Sec. 8.900(d): emergency warning devices, agricultural field machinery used and maintained to the manufacturer's specifications, motor vehicles on public roads, aircraft and airport operations at state-licensed airports, boats on State waters and motor vehicles on State lands under the Department of Natural Resources, emergency operations, rapid rail transit vehicles and railroads, and construction and repair work on public property. (5) Small fines: the criminal fine tops out at $100 and the civil fines at $50 for a first violation and $100 for a later one (Secs. 8.900(e), 24.107). A person cited may elect to stand trial in district court by filing notice with the Director of Finance at least five days before the fine is due (Sec. 24.108). (6) Two enforcers, split by source: the Police Department for any source, the Health Department only when the noise originates from commercial or industrial property (Sec. 8.900(e)(2), (3)). (7) Paid parties at short-term rentals: Sec. 8.901, added by C.B. 58, 2025, bars promoting, organizing or hosting a party or other entertainment for profit, open to the general public, at a residential property rented or used for 30 days or less, unless the use is approved under the Zoning Regulations. The Police Department enforces it, it is a Class A offense with a civil penalty of up to $2,500 for a first offense and up to $5,000 for each later one, and no notice of violation is needed before a citation (Sec. 8.901(b), (c)). (8) Concert venue carve-out: under Environment Article § 3-401(c)(7), the County's noise rules in effect on October 1, 2013 do not apply to electronically amplified sound at an outdoor concert venue in the county with a capacity of over 15,000 people; state law sets that venue's limits and hours, and they apply even when a satellite stage is used. The statute names no venue. The County Health Department's Summer 2025 report on Merriweather Post Pavilion says it monitored 30 of 41 scheduled concerts, took readings at five routine sites and at the locations of complaints, and logged two noise complaint calls for the season, neither with a reading over the allowable limit. (9) Barking: the animal code does not mention barking or set minutes or decibels. It makes it a nuisance for a domesticated animal to disturb the public peace (Sec. 17.302(a)(9)). A police officer may cite other animal nuisances on observing them, but not a disturbance of the public peace (Sec. 17.309(c)(1)); the Animal Control Administrator can act on an officer's observation or on a citizen's sworn statement about three incidents, made on Animal Control's form under penalty of perjury (Secs. 17.300, 17.309(a)). The civil fine for a nuisance is $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second in 24 months and $200 after that (Sec. 17.318(c)); after a third citation for disturbing the public peace the Administrator must order control and confinement measures and may impound the animal if the owner does not comply (Sec. 17.309(e)(3)). (10) Health nuisances: Sec. 12.110, which the Health Department's complaints page cites, defines a nuisance to include activities on a property that interfere with another's proper use or enjoyment of property; it does not name noise. (11) State role: the state regulation's preface says enforcement of the state noise standards is the responsibility of political subdivisions in all areas.

Document it before you report it

Howard County'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 see the nearest city we map, on the Columbia noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.