Noise ordinances › Lakewood, CO

Lakewood noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 9, 2026

Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Lakewood acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Quiet hours in Lakewood

The general ban on unreasonable noise applies at all hours (9.52.040). The timed rules are these. Construction is barred on any Sunday, on any Designated Holiday (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day) and between 9:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day (9.52.140, 9.52.030). The same three bans apply to repair or maintenance power equipment, which means, but is not limited to, lawn mowers, powered garden tools, electric or chain saws, log chippers, riding tractors, leaf blowers or powered hand tools (9.52.150, 9.52.030), and to loading or unloading any garbage, trash or compactor truck within 300 feet of any building containing a Residential Use (9.52.130). Exceptions (9.52.153): remodeling and the use of repair or maintenance power equipment on a property containing a previously completed Residential Use, and replacing a roof, are allowed on Sundays and Designated Holidays but still not between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (remodel means any work necessary to replace pre-existing features of a building without demolishing any portion of any exterior wall, and any work for which Title 14 requires no building permit, 9.52.030); Emergency Work, snow and ice removal and plowing, and sweeping of streets and parking lots are outside these rules at any hour. A loudspeaker, public address system or other sound-amplifying equipment used to give instructions, directions, talks, addresses or lectures, or to transmit music or sound to any persons or assemblages of persons, may not be plainly audible at the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. the intensity and loudness of amplified sound shall not be unreasonable (9.52.160(A)). Bells and chimes from any church, clock or school may not be sounded between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (9.52.060). A permit to use sound-amplifying equipment in a motor vehicle may allow it only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (9.52.170).

Decibel limits — or rather, the lack of them

No decibel limit. Chapter 9.52 contains no decibel figure, no table of levels by zone and no meter procedure. That is so even though its policy section says the chapter is meant "to establish and provide for sound levels that will eliminate unreasonable and excessive noise" (9.52.020) and its third part is headed Prohibited Noise, Sound Level Standards; the sections under that heading set days and hours, not levels (9.52.140 to 9.52.155). The test is unreasonable noise: any excessive or unusually loud sound, or any sound which disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or causes damage to any property or business (9.52.030), which no person may knowingly make or continue (9.52.040); radios, musical instruments and televisions, animals, exhausts, vehicles and daytime amplified sound are all judged by whether the noise is unreasonable (9.52.070 to 9.52.100, 9.52.160(A)). Two rules turn on where the sound can be heard: amplified sound plainly audible at the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (9.52.160(A)), and sound-amplifying equipment in a motor vehicle plainly audible at 25 feet from the vehicle, at any hour, unless the City Clerk has issued a permit (9.52.160(B)). The chapter does not define plainly audible. It does define continuous noise (a steady, fluctuating or impulsive noise which exists, essentially without interruption, for ten minutes or more, with an accumulation of an hour or more during a period of eight hours), commercial district and industrial district (9.52.030), but no section of the chapter as read uses those terms. Title 17, the Zoning Ordinance, is not on the code host, according to the City Clerk's page, and was not read.

What the ordinance actually says

§ 9.52.030: "Unreasonable noise means any excessive or unusually loud sound, or any sound which disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or causes damage to any property or business."

§ 9.52.040: "No person shall knowingly make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, any unreasonable noise within the city."

§ 9.52.140: "Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall engage in, cause or permit any person to be engaged in Construction: A. On any Sunday; B. On any Designated Holiday; or C. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day."

§ 9.52.150: "Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall operate or permit to be operated any Repair or Maintenance Power Equipment: A. On any Sunday; B. On any Designated Holiday; or C. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the next day."

§ 9.52.153(B): "Remodel and use of Repair or Maintenance Power Equipment on any property containing a previously completed Residential Use except that such activities shall not occur between the hours of 9:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day;"

§ 9.52.130: "Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall load or unload any garbage, trash or compactor truck within 300 feet of any building containing a Residential Use: A. On any Sunday; B. On any Designated Holiday; or C. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day."

§ 9.52.160(A): "No person shall use or operate any loudspeaker, public address system, or other sound-amplifying equipment for the purpose of giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses or lectures, or for transmitting music or sound to any persons or assemblages of persons, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, in such a manner as to be plainly audible at the property line. The intensity and loudness of any amplified sound, which is transmitted between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. of one day, shall not be unreasonable."

§ 9.52.160(B): "No person shall use or operate any loudspeaker, public address system, or other sound-amplifying equipment in a motor vehicle in such a manner as to be plainly audible at 25 feet from the motor vehicle, unless a permit has been issued by the City Clerk pursuant to Section 9.52.190 which allows such amplification."

§ 9.52.080: "No person shall keep or maintain or permit the keeping of, on any premises owned, occupied or controlled by such person, any animal or bird otherwise permitted to be kept, which by frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing, squawking or other noise unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or causes discomfort or annoyance to any person."

§ 9.52.070: "It is unlawful for any person to use, operate or permit to be played any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum or other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sound in such a manner as to cause any unreasonable noise."

§ 1.16.020(A): "any person who pleads guilty or nolo contendere, or who is convicted of a violation of any such section shall, for each offense, be fined in a sum of not more than $2,650.00 or shall be imprisoned for a term of not more than 364 days, or shall be both so fined and imprisoned, but in no event shall the penalty exceed the maximum sentence allowable under Colorado State law for comparable Colorado State offenses."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Lakewood Municipal Code Chapter 9.52 (Noise), the Lakewood noise control ordinance, in Title 9 (Public Peace and Safety), Part V (Offenses Against Public Peace): 9.52.010 Short title, 9.52.020 Declaration of policy, 9.52.030 Definitions (Ord. O-2019-19 §§ 2, 3, 2019; Ord. O-94-33 §§ 32, 33, 1994), 9.52.040 Unlawful to make, 9.52.050 Unlawful noises generally, 9.52.060 Bells and chimes, 9.52.070 Radios, television sets, phonographs and similar devices (Ord. O-94-33 § 34, 1994), 9.52.080 Animals or birds, 9.52.090 Exhausts and mufflers, 9.52.100 Defect in vehicle or load (Ord. O-94-33 § 35, 1994), 9.52.110 Quiet zone, 9.52.120 Dynamic braking devices, 9.52.130 Trash truck loading and unloading (Ord. O-2019-19 § 4, 2019; Ord. O-2001-34 § 5), 9.52.135 Haul route (Ord. O-2019-19 § 5, 2019), 9.52.140 Construction activities (Ord. O-2019-19 § 6, 2019), 9.52.150 Repair or maintenance power equipment (Ord. O-2019-19 § 7, 2019), 9.52.153 Exceptions (Ord. O-2019-19 § 8, 2019), 9.52.155 Temporary exemption from ordinance (Ord. O-2019-19 § 9, 2019; Ord. O-92-4 § 1, 1992), 9.52.160 Amplified sound (Ord. O-2002-16 § 1, 2002), 9.52.170 Application for permit to use sound-amplifying equipment in a motor vehicle, 9.52.190 Permit issuance (Ord. O-2002-16 § 3, 2002). Every section except 9.52.135, 9.52.153 and 9.52.155 also cites Ord. O-86-42 § 1 (part), 1986, and the chapter footnote gives the prior ordinance history as Ords. O-85-13. Penalty: Chapter 1.16 (Penalty for Violations), 1.16.020 Penalties designated (Ord. O-2026-11 § 1, 3-23-2026; Ord. O-2024-1 § 1, 2024; Ord. O-2019-24 § 4, 2019; Ord. O-2017-16 § 2, 2017; Ord. O-2014-3 § 1, 2014). Text read on Municode, the host the City Clerk's City Codes & Laws page names for the online Municipal Code, Supplement 15, online content updated on September 14, 2026, codified through Ordinance No. O-2026-16, adopted April 27, 2026.). 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 Lakewood

Call Lakewood's 24/7 non-emergency police dispatch at 303-980-7300, or 911 in an emergency; no City page read today names a separate line for noise complaints. The Police Department's Get In Touch page lists 303-980-7300 as Jeffcom Non-Emergency, and the non-emergency report page says to call it "when you need agents to respond or to contact you by phone." For barking dogs, the City's Barking Dogs page gives Animal Control at 303-987-7173 for general questions and 303-980-7300 to file a formal complaint for an Animal Control Officer. It says to speak with the animal's owner first and adds: "Animal control does not take anonymous complaints." Animal Control needs your full name, address and phone contact information, a detailed description of the animal, the exact address, and the dates, times and duration of the violation, and you must be able to identify the animal. Code Enforcement is at 303-987-7566, but its page lists nuisance and land use topics and does not mention noise. For construction hours, the Public Works handout on work days and hours (dated May 2019) gives 303-987-7500. The City also runs an online request hub, Request Lakewood, which it says is not monitored 24/7. Penalty: Chapter 9.52 has no penalty section of its own, so the general penalty applies: for each offense a fine of not more than $2,650 or imprisonment for not more than 364 days, or both, never more than the maximum sentence Colorado law allows for comparable state offenses (1.16.020(A)). The fine limit is adjusted for inflation on January 1 of each year (1.16.020(A)(1)), and a child convicted of a violation faces the same penalties except imprisonment (1.16.020(D)). Sources: https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Police/Get-In-Touch, https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Police/PD-services-permits-registrations/Submit-a-Non-Emergency-Police-Report, https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Police/Animal-Control-Information/Barking-Dog, https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/Police/Code-Enforcement, https://www.lakewoodco.gov/files/assets/public/v/2/public-works/pdfs/engineering/construction-work-hours.pdf and https://www.lakewoodco.gov/Local-Government/Departments/City-Managers-Office/Communications/Request-Lakewood-service-request-FAQ.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Lakewood. 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) A sound level chapter with no sound levels. The policy section speaks of establishing sound levels and one part is headed Sound Level Standards, but the chapter as codified has no decibel figure, so there is no number in it to compare a meter reading with (9.52.020, 9.52.140 to 9.52.155). (2) Sundays and six holidays are closed to construction, to repair or maintenance power equipment and to trash truck loading near homes (9.52.130, 9.52.140, 9.52.150). Homes get an exception: remodeling and power equipment on a property with a previously completed Residential Use, and roof replacement, are allowed on those days from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (9.52.153(B), (C)), so the Sunday and holiday ban does not stop someone mowing the lawn of an existing home in those hours. (3) Residential Use is defined widely: any single or multiple-family dwelling, and also hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, motels, homes for the aged, schools, courts and similar institutional facilities (9.52.030). (4) Two different night starts: 9:00 p.m. for construction, power equipment and trash trucks, 10:00 p.m. for amplified sound and for bells and chimes (9.52.060, 9.52.130 to 9.52.160). (5) Car audio: sound-amplifying equipment in a motor vehicle may not be plainly audible at 25 feet at any hour without a City Clerk permit, which can cover only 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; a denied applicant may appeal in writing to the City Manager within seven days (9.52.160(B), 9.52.170, 9.52.190). (6) Government property is outside the amplified sound rule: it does not apply to sound made on property owned by, controlled by or leased to the city, the federal government, the state or its political subdivisions, when the sound comes from an activity of that government or one it sponsors or allows by contract, lease or permit (9.52.160(D)). Bells and chimes of a church, clock or school are outside it too (9.52.160(C)) but have their own night ban (9.52.060). (7) Animals and birds: the test is frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing, squawking or other noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or causes discomfort or annoyance to any person; the code sets no number of minutes (9.52.080). Title 6 (Animals) as read has no barking section, and the City's Barking Dogs page cites no code section. (8) Quiet zones exist only where signed: unreasonable noise near a school, institution of learning, church or court in use or session, or near a hospital, nursing home or home for the aged, is prohibited, provided conspicuous signs are displayed in adjacent, surrounding or contiguous streets (9.52.110). (9) Vehicles: an exhaust needs an adequate muffler in constant operation, with no cutoff, bypass or similar device (9.52.090); a vehicle may not be so out of repair or so loaded as to cause unreasonable noise (9.52.100); and a dynamic braking device (an engine brake) may not be engaged unless properly muffled (9.52.120). (10) State of mind: the general offense is to knowingly make or continue unreasonable noise, or cause it to be made or continued (9.52.040), and the listed acts are examples, not the whole of it (9.52.050). (11) Temporary exemptions from the trash truck, construction and power equipment rules come from the City Manager, who weighs dates, hours, type of noise, location, equipment and public health, safety and welfare, and must see that the City Council is promptly notified of each one approved (9.52.155). The Public Works handout (May 2019) says exemptions are not routinely granted and must be requested at least two weeks ahead. The City Manager may also limit the haul route for construction materials and equipment, preferring arterial streets and limiting streets with adjacent Residential Use (9.52.135). (12) Emergency Work is exempt and written as a defined term (9.52.153(A)), but the definitions section as read does not define it; the Public Works handout describes it as work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition or required to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger or potential danger. (13) The penalty sits outside the chapter. Section 1.16.020 was last amended on 3-23-2026 by Ord. O-2026-11, and it lets the Municipal Court create a penalty schedule within the general range, a provision set to sunset on May 1, 2027 (1.16.020(A)(2)); no such schedule was part of the text read. (14) The City Clerk's page warns that the online code may take some time to reflect the very latest ordinances passed by City Council.

Document it before you report it

Lakewood has no decibel limit and asks mainly whether the noise is unreasonable, but a log of measured levels still makes a complaint concrete and credible. 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 Lakewood noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.