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Noise ordinances › Huntsville, AL
Huntsville noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints
Huntsville, AL regulates noise under Huntsville Code of Ordinances. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. 55 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) at night, measured at the receiving residential property line. Below: the exact code language, who actually takes complaints, and a link to the official text.
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| Quiet hours | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
|---|---|
| Limit type | Numeric decibel limits (sound-level meter standard) |
| Headline limit | 55 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) at night, measured at the receiving residential property line |
| Official code | Huntsville Code of Ordinances |
Quiet hours in Huntsville
10:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. The residential dB limit drops from 55 to 50 dB(A) in that window (§ 12-265(a)), and § 12-265(b)(1) bans any electronically amplified sound "discernible by the human ear at or within the property boundary of any adjoining or nearby residential premises between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m." Construction equipment and domestic power equipment are exempt only 7:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. (§ 12-262(4)–(5)).
Decibel limits
Yes — § 12-265(a), measured at or within the property line of the RECEIVING land use: Residential/public space/open space/agricultural/institutional: 55 dB(A) 7:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m., 50 dB(A) 10:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.; Commercial or business: 62 dB(A) at all times; Industrial: 70 dB(A) at all times. Most restrictive category applies when a source hits multiple categories. Also: absolute cap — "no source shall emit noise in excess of 86 dB(A) when measured 25 feet or more from the source" (§ 12-264(5)); domestic power equipment daytime exemption capped at 80 dB(A) at 25 ft (§ 12-262(5)). Vehicles on the public right-of-way use no dB numbers — muffler/"unreasonably loud" standard (§ 12-293) and a "plainly audible at 25 feet" standard for car stereos (§ 12-298).
What the ordinance actually says
§ 12-265(a): "No person shall operate, cause to be operated or generate any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the following limits when measured at or within the property line of the receiving land use: ... Residential ... 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 55 [dB(A)]; 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. 50 [dB(A)]; Commercial or business, At all times, 62; Industrial, At all times, 70."
§ 12-237(a): "It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally or recklessly make, assist in making, continue, cause to be made or continued ... any unreasonably loud or raucous sound or noise within the jurisdictional limits of the city."
§ 12-298(a): "No person shall operate or cause to be operated any sound amplification system ... from, within, or upon a vehicle on the public right-of-way in such a manner as to be plainly audible to any person at least 25 feet from the vehicle from which the sound is emitted."
Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Huntsville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12 (Environmental Management), Article V — Noise, §§ 12-231 to 12-298 (Div. 1 Generally, Div. 2 Community Noise Level Standards, Div. 3 Noise and Sound Associated with Vehicles). Codified through Ord. No. 26-196 (Mar. 12, 2026), Supp. 30 Update 2.). 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 Huntsville
Per huntsvilleal.gov/environment/noise/: community-noise complaints go to the Noise Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Management — phone 256-427-5750, the Huntsville Connect online portal (huntsvilleal.gov/huntsvilleconnect/), email Darlene.Elliott@HuntsvilleAL.gov, or in person at City Hall 1st Floor, 305 Fountain Circle SW (Mon–Fri 8–5); the division "enforces the ordinance by conducting field measurements." Vehicle/street noise is enforced by the Huntsville Police Department (§ 12-291(b): "The chief of police, and officers under his supervision, are hereby authorized to enforce the provisions of this division"). No 311 system.
For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.
Worth knowing
Dual regime: fixed dB(A) limits for community noise (Div. 2) but a subjective/plainly-audible standard for vehicles on the right-of-way (Div. 3, rewritten by Ord. 21-449 in 2021 citing "enforcement challenges ... when attempting to measure decibel levels produced by movable vehicles"). Construction equipment is fully exempt 7 a.m.–10 p.m. (§ 12-262(4)). Arts & entertainment district exemption: the 10 p.m. amplified-sound ban does not apply within an established entertainment district on Friday/Saturday and New Year's Eve regular hours (§ 12-265(b)(1)). Commercial paging/PA systems audible at any residential property line are banned at ALL times (§ 12-265(b)(2)). Burglar alarms limited to 15 minutes (§ 12-262(2)). Aircraft and animals exempt (§ 12-262(10)–(11); noisy animals covered separately at § 5-9). Vehicle-noise penalties escalate: $50 first citation (waivable with proof of repair), $250 second, $500 and/or up to 10 days jail third within 12 months (§ 12-294, added by Ord. 25-77, Feb. 2025). Idling trucks >10,000 lbs GVWR limited to 10 min/hour within 150 ft of residences 10 p.m.–7 a.m. (§ 12-295); refuse trucks banned within 150 ft of residences 10 p.m.–7 a.m. (§ 12-296). Undue-hardship waivers available from the noise control officer (§ 12-234).
Document it before you report it
Huntsville'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 Huntsville noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.