Noise ordinances › Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Quiet hours in Las Vegas

Las Vegas does not have one blanket citywide curfew on all sound. The general ban in LVMC 9.16.010 on making, causing, creating or continuing any "noise disturbance" applies 24 hours a day, so a loud stereo at 2 p.m. can be a violation just as at 2 a.m. The code then names 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. as the night window for three specific activities: yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets (9.16.030(C)); the loading, unloading, opening, closing or handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials or garbage cans in a way that projects a noise disturbance across the boundary of residential property (9.16.030(J)); and the use of a loudspeaker, public address system or sound amplification device on any public right-of-way or in any public space (9.16.030(K)(2)). Construction is regulated separately and more tightly. Under 9.16.030(H) the erection, excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of any building in any new or existing residential district, or the excavation, construction or repair of right-of-way improvements in such a district, is limited to a "specified time period" defined in 9.16.030(H)(1): 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in residential districts generally; and 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 through September 30, plus 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 1 through March 31, within a declarant-controlled common-interest community or at any location more than 300 feet from a residential unit. Work outside those hours requires a permit for urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety, granted for no more than 30 days, from the Director of Community Development (buildings) or the City Traffic Engineer (right-of-way work). Two more time restrictions: outdoor emergency sirens and alarms may be tested only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (9.16.030(N)); and under the separate zoning code, backup/emergency generators may be "scheduled for testing or maintenance only between the hours of 8 am and 10 pm" (LVMC 19.08.040), where the generator dB table also uses a 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. night period rather than 11 p.m.

Decibel limits — or rather, the lack of them

There is no general decibel limit in Las Vegas. Chapter 9.16, the noise chapter that governs ordinary noise complaints, contains no numeric sound levels at all, no zoning-district dB table, and no separate day and night dB values. Enforcement rests entirely on the "noise disturbance" definition (unreasonably loud, disturbing or unnecessary, or annoying or disturbing to a reasonable person of normal sensitivities) and on the 50-foot plainly-audible test in 9.16.030(B) and (K)(1). Do not expect an officer responding to a neighbor complaint to use a meter, because Chapter 9.16 gives them no number to measure against. Decibel numbers do appear in three narrow places elsewhere in the code, and none of them is a general limit. First, LVMC 11.68.107(C)(5)(b) caps sound from street performers inside the Fremont Street Pedestrian Mall at 85 dBA measured at a minimum distance of 25 feet from the source, or 107 dBA measured at a minimum distance of 1 foot from the source, using a sound level meter qualifying as Class 1 under IEC 61672-1; LVMC 11.68.105(G) applies that same limit to amplified expressive activity in the Pedestrian Mall. Those figures apply only inside that downtown mall. Second, LVMC Title 19 (the Unified Development Ordinance) § 19.08.040 sets "Table 1 - Noise Limits for Generators During an Electrical Power Outage or During Testing of Backup Emergency Generators", measured at the property line and keyed to the type of property receiving the noise: Residential, 65 dBA intermittent / 55 dBA constant between 7 AM and 9 PM and 55 dBA intermittent / 45 dBA constant between 9 PM and 7 AM; Commercial/Mixed Use, 70 dBA intermittent / 60 dBA constant in both periods; Public/Quasi-Public/Institutional, 60 dBA intermittent / 50 dBA constant in both periods. That table binds only backup and emergency generators, not stereos, parties, dogs or construction. Third, LVMC 19.12.070 requires that a Small Wind Energy System be built and maintained so that noise does not exceed 60 dBA measured at the closest neighbouring inhabited dwelling, though that level may be exceeded during short-term events such as utility outages or severe windstorms. It binds only small wind turbines. Note for anyone re-checking this: Title 19 is NOT part of the Municode codification (Municode's Title 19 node states the zoning title was repealed by Ord. No. 6135 in 2011 and republished by the City as a separate document), so a full-text search of Municode alone will not surface the generator table.

What the ordinance actually says

§ 9.16.010: "Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, no person shall make, cause, create or continue any noise disturbance within the corporate boundaries of the City. Noncommercial public speaking and public assembly activities that are conducted on any public right-of-way or in any public space shall be exempt from the operation of this Chapter."

§ 9.16.005(F): "'Noise disturbance' means any sound which is unreasonably loud, disturbing or unnecessary or which endangers or injures the health of humans or annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities."

§ 9.16.030(B)(1): "The operation or playing of such radio, television, phonograph, stereo, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier or similar device in such a manner or at such a volume as to be plainly audible to the human ear at a distance of fifty feet from the source of the noise shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this Chapter"

§ 9.16.030(C): "Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of eleven p.m. and seven a.m., or at any time or place in such a manner or at such a volume as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of any person in any hospital, dwelling, hotel or any other type of residence or of any person in the vicinity."

§ 9.16.030(H)(1): "'Specified time period' means the following: (a) Within a declarant-controlled common-interest community, or at any location more than three hundred feet from a residential unit, the period from five a.m. to six p.m., from April 1 through September 30, and the period from seven a.m. to six p.m., from October 1 through March 31; and (b) In any residential district other than the locations described in subparagraph (a) just above and regardless of the time of year, the period from seven a.m. to six p.m."

§ 9.16.030(J): "The loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans or similar objects between the hours of eleven p.m. and seven a.m. in such a manner as to project a noise disturbance across the boundary of any residential real property."

§ 9.16.030(K): "The use or operation for any purpose of a loudspeaker, public address system, or sound amplification device in connection with any radio, phonograph, tape recorder, microphone or similar device: (1) In such a manner or at such a volume that it is plainly audible to the human ear at a distance of fifty feet or more from the source of the sound; (2) Between the hours of eleven p.m. and seven a.m. on any public right-of-way or in any public space; or (3) On a truck or other vehicle, either moving or standing, for advertising or any other purpose."

§ 9.16.030(N): "The intentional sounding or permitting the sounding outdoors of any fire, burglar or civil defense alarm, siren, whistle or similar stationary emergency signaling device except for emergency purposes or for the testing, between the hours of eight a.m. and six p.m."

§ 9.16.050: "Any person violating any provision of this Chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. A person who is convicted of a violation of Subsection (B) or Subsection (K) of Section 9.16.030 shall be punished by a fine not less than fifty dollars for the first offense, one hundred dollars for the second offense and two hundred fifty dollars for the third and all subsequent offenses."

§ 11.68.107(C)(5)(b) [Fremont Street Pedestrian Mall street performers only, table]: "Maximum Noise Levels (in A-weighted decibels), measured by a sound level meter qualifying as Class 1 under IEC 61672-1" / "85 dBA*/107 dBA**" / "* When measured at a minimum distance of 25 feet from the source of the noise" / "** When measured at a minimum distance of 1 foot from the source of the noise"

§ 11.68.105(G): "Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, a person engaging in expressive activity under this Section may use amplified sound in connection with that activity if it complies with the noise level limitations of LVMC 11.68.107(C)(5)(b)."

§ 6.39.050(F) [licensed nightclubs]: "No interior noise shall be audible beyond the property line when exterior doors are closed. If a more restrictive requirement exists elsewhere in this Code, the more restrictive requirement applies."

LVMC 19.08.040 [zoning code, backup/emergency generators only]: "Table 1 - Noise Limits for Generators During an Electrical Power Outage or During Testing of Backup Emergency Generators" / "Type of Property Receiving Noise | Decibel Limits Between 7 AM and 9 PM | Decibel Limits Between 9 PM and 7 AM" / "Residential | 65 dBA Intermittent 55 dBA Constant | 55 dBA Intermittent 45 dBA Constant" / "Commercial/Mixed Use | 70 dBA Intermittent 60 dBA Constant | 70 dBA Intermittent 60 dBA Constant" / "Public/Quasi-Public/Institutional | 60 dBA Intermittent 50 dBA Constant | 60 dBA Intermittent 50 dBA Constant"

LVMC 19.08.040 [backup/emergency generators]: "Be scheduled for testing or maintenance only between the hours of 8 am and 10 pm"

LVMC 19.12.070 [Title 19 zoning code, Small Wind Energy System only]: "A system shall be constructed and maintained so that noise levels do not exceed 60dBA, as measured by a sound level meter at the closest neighboring inhabited dwelling. However, this level may be exceeded during short term events such as utility outages or severe windstorms."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Las Vegas Municipal Code (LVMC), Title 9 "Health and Safety", Chapter 9.16 "Noise", on Municode (the city's official code host), codified through Ordinance No. 6937, passed January 21, 2026 (Supp. No. 61), online content updated June 29, 2026. Sections: 9.16.005 definitions ("demolition", "emergency", "emergency work", "muffler or sound dissipation device", "noise", "noise disturbance", "public right-of-way", "public space"); 9.16.010 general prohibition on noise disturbances plus the exemption for noncommercial public speaking and assembly; 9.16.020 detrimental noises; 9.16.030 the operative list of prohibited noises, subsections (A) vehicle horns, (B) radios/stereos/instruments/amplifiers with the 50-foot plainly-audible test, (C) yelling and shouting on public streets with the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. reference, (D) animals, (E) vehicles out of repair, (F) steam whistles, (G) engine exhaust and mufflers, (H) construction and demolition hours (which is where the term "specified time period" is defined, at 9.16.030(H)(1) — NOT in 9.16.005) plus the urgent-necessity permit, (I) noise near schools, churches, courts and hospitals, (J) loading and unloading 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., (K) loudspeakers and public address systems, (L) selling by outcry, (M) vehicle repair and testing, (N) emergency signaling device testing 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., (O) burglar alarms that must self-terminate within 15 minutes; 9.16.040 exemptions; 9.16.050 penalties. Four provisions outside Chapter 9.16 matter: LVMC 11.68.107(C)(5)(b) sets dB numbers for street performers on the Fremont Street Pedestrian Mall (LVMC 11.68.105(G) applies the same numbers to amplified expressive activity there); LVMC 6.39.050(D)(5) and (F) govern outdoor speakers and audible interior noise at licensed nightclubs; and LVMC Title 19 (the Unified Development Ordinance, published separately from Municode at online.encodeplus.com/regs/lasvegas-nv/) § 19.08.040 Table 1 sets dBA limits for backup/emergency generators; and § 19.12.070 of that same Title 19 caps Small Wind Energy System noise at 60 dBA measured at the closest neighbouring inhabited dwelling.). Verified against the live code on 2026-08-11. 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 Las Vegas

For noise happening right now, such as a loud party or amplified music, dial 3-1-1 for a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department non-emergency response; the city's own Downtown Safety Resource Guide instructs residents to "Dial 3-1-1 when you need a police non-emergency response such as disturbance calls to report any types of crime where there is no immediate threat to life or property." For recurring problems, short-term-rental noise and property-based violations, contact City of Las Vegas Code Enforcement. Per that same city guide: "For Code Enforcement during business hours (Monday-Thursday 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), please call 702.229.6615. For Code Enforcement related to noise or short term rentals, please call 702.229.3500, and for concerns that happen after hours or on weekends, and that require a more immediate response, please call 702.229.6444." Complaints can also be filed at https://cityoflasvegas.link/codeenforcementcomplaint or through the SeeClickFix app (https://seeclickfix.com/las-vegas). Construction outside permitted hours is a Code Enforcement matter. If the address is on the Strip or otherwise in unincorporated Clark County, the complaint goes to Clark County, not the city.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Las Vegas. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

Jurisdiction is the biggest trap. Most of what visitors call "Las Vegas", including the entire Strip, Paradise, Winchester, Spring Valley and Enterprise, sits in unincorporated Clark County and is not covered by the LVMC at all; Chapter 9.16 applies only "within the corporate boundaries of the City" (9.16.010). Check which jurisdiction an address is in before relying on these rules. Exemptions in 9.16.040 are broad: city vehicles and the city's authorized garbage collection contractor on necessary public business; night excavation or repair of streets, highways or bridges by or on behalf of the City, Clark County or the State when daytime work is impracticable; emergency alerts and emergency work; any event authorized by a city special event permit; and civic functions such as parades, concerts and athletic events for which a license or permit was issued. Two downtown entertainment carve-outs are notable. First, businesses licensed under Chapter 6.39 or 6.50 inside the Downtown Entertainment Overlay District (LVMC 19.10.120) are exempt to the extent their outdoor speakers comply with LVMC 6.39.050(D)(5), which requires the speakers to be off sidewalks and the public right-of-way and directed toward the establishment's lounge or dining area and away from public rights-of-way; 6.39.050(F) separately requires that no interior noise be audible beyond the property line when exterior doors are closed. Second, 9.16.040(F) exempts events at businesses in 18B, the Las Vegas Arts District, up to 10 p.m. for events beginning Sunday through Wednesday, midnight for Thursday, and 2 a.m. the following morning for Friday and Saturday. A 2025 city bill (25-0280-TXT1, sponsored by Councilwoman Olivia Diaz) would strike that Arts District exemption entirely and renumber (G) to (F); it is not reflected in the current supplement, and 9.16.040 still shows its last amendment as Ord. No. 6648 (10-17-18), so the carve-out stands as codified. Noncommercial public speaking and public assembly on public rights-of-way or in public spaces are exempt from the whole chapter (9.16.010). Separate provisions cover barking or noisy animals (9.16.030(D)), vehicles operating without an effective muffler (9.16.030(G)), repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing vehicles, motorcycles or motorboats across a residential property line (9.16.030(M)), and burglar alarms, which must terminate automatically within 15 minutes (9.16.030(O)). Under the zoning code, backup/emergency generators may not be sited closer than 50 feet to residentially zoned property (unless used for a non-residential use) and must meet the dB table above at the property line (LVMC 19.08.040). There is no leaf-blower ordinance and no general amplified-sound permit scheme beyond special-event permits. Penalties: violations are misdemeanors, and violations of 9.16.030(B) or (K) carry escalating fines of not less than $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second and $250 for a third and later offenses (9.16.050). Two definitions reach into state law: "declarant-controlled common-interest community" takes its meaning from NRS 268.4137, and timeshares under NRS Chapter 119A are excluded from the definition of "residential unit".

Document it before you report it

Las Vegas enforces mostly by audibility, 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 Las Vegas noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.