Noise ordinances › Lee County, FL

Lee County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 4, 2026

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Quiet hours in Lee County

Lee County's noise limits drop from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day (Sec. 19-151(1), Table 1). Residential, public space and agricultural land go from 66 dBA and 71 dBC to 55 dBA and 60 dBC; commercial or business land from 72 dBA and 77 dBC to 65 dBA and 70 dBC; and the inside of a multifamily dwelling unit from 50 dBA or 55 dBC to 45 dBA or 50 dBC (Sec. 19-151(1)c.1). Manufacturing or industrial land stays at 75 dBA and 80 dBC at all times. Under the alternative Table 2, measured at the property line of the noise source, the limit drops from 75 dBA and 80 dBC to 72 dBA and 77 dBC. Lawn care, soil cultivation, domestic power tools, lawn mowers, tree trimming and other normal community operations are exempt only from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; solid waste and recycling collection in or next to residential uses only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and solid waste collection in nonresidential locations only from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sec. 19-152(5)). Article VI sets no general construction hours. Construction equipment that must run around the clock near a residential use must be shielded by a barrier from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. unless the unshielded noise is less than 55 dBA or 60 dBC at the residential property line (Sec. 19-151(1)c.2). Testing of standby emergency generators is exempt only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and only for up to 30 minutes once a week (Sec. 19-152(8)a). On Captiva, outdoor amplified equipment and amplified music cast outdoors are banned from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and so is a noise disturbance plainly heard from the receiving land at 50 feet from the source (Sec. 19-151(1)c.3). The general noise disturbance rule has no clock, on Captiva or anywhere else, though the time of day or night is one of its factors (Sec. 19-151(2)a).

Decibel limits

Yes, in unincorporated Lee County. Table 1 of Sec. 19-151(1) sets limits by the land that receives the sound, measured at or within the real property line of the receiving land: residential, public space or agricultural land 66 dBA and 71 dBC from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 55 dBA and 60 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; commercial or business land 72 dBA and 77 dBC by day and 65 dBA and 70 dBC at night; manufacturing or industrial land 75 dBA and 80 dBC at all times. Residential use includes parks, hospitals, schools, institutional uses, nursing homes, plots in a mobile home park and any land use that is not commercial or industrial (Sec. 19-149). At the officer's discretion, Table 2 may be used instead, measured from the real property line of the noise source: all land uses excluding manufacturing or industrial, 75 dBA and 80 dBC from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 72 dBA and 77 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Multifamily dwellings: 50 dBA or 55 dBC from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 45 dBA or 50 dBC from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., measured from the receiving dwelling unit (Sec. 19-151(1)c.1). A pure tone lowers the Table 1 limits by five (the code prints "five dBA of dBC"), and impulsive sound raises them by ten dBA or dBC from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sec. 19-151(1)a). Power-driven construction equipment needs a muffler or other noise-reduction device unless it is below the Table 1 limit (Sec. 19-151(1)c.2). How it is measured (Secs. 19-149, 19-151(1)d): a sound level meter that meets at least the Type 2 standard of ANSI S1.4-1983 or its successor, calibrated and run under the manufacturer's instructions, set to A-weighted or C-weighted and slow response, placed within the boundary of the receiving land for Table 1 or at the boundary of the emitting land for Table 2, and pointed at the source. The ambient noise must be at least five dBA below the source for a violation to exist. Sec. 19-151(2) separately bans any noise disturbance, with no number: excessive, loud, harsh, raucous or nonharmonious sounds or vibrations that unreasonably disturb, alarm, injure, harm or endanger the health or welfare of a reasonable person with normal sensitivities (Sec. 19-149). The Sheriff's Office personnel on the scene decide from the receiving land, by normal hearing, after weighing all applicable factors: volume and whether it can be plainly heard from the receiving land, intensity, vibration, the nature of the noise, ambient noise, proximity to residential sleeping facilities, the use of both areas, the time, the duration, and whether it is commercial. Not covered (Sec. 19-152): emergency signal devices; utility and emergency work; railways and shipping lanes; all Lee County airports; normal residential or agricultural activities in the hours listed above; safety features required by law, such as backup alarms; farm operations protected by the Florida Right to Farm Act; generator testing in the hours above and emergency generators during an outage at the Sheriff's Office's discretion; and noises consistent with culturally or traditionally observed holidays.

What the ordinance actually says

§ 19-147: this article "will be applicable in all of unincorporated Lee County."

§ 19-151: "The occurrence of the conditions, acts or omissions as described in either Subsection (1) or (2) of this section will constitute a violation of this article. Should a sound level measurement method be unavailable, inappropriate for a given set of circumstances, or unable to be taken by a sound level meter, Subsection (2) of this section may be used to prove a violation so long as evidence exists sufficient to establish that the sound constitutes a noise disturbance pursuant to the standards provided in Subsection (2) of this section."

§ 19-151(1): "No person shall operate or cause to be operated any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth for the receiving land use category in Table 1 when measured at or within the real property line of the receiving land or, at the discretion of the officer, those limits set forth in the alternative Table 2 as measured from the real property line of the noise source."

§ 19-151(1)c.1: "In the case of multifamily dwelling units, it shall be unlawful to create or permit to be created any noise that exceeds 50 dBA or 55 dBC during the hours between 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or 45 dBA or 50 dBC during the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. daily, as measured from the receiving dwelling unit within such multifamily dwelling."

§ 19-151(1)c.3: "It shall be unlawful on Captiva for any person or persons to operate outdoor amplified equipment or play amplified music which is cast upon the outdoors between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or to create a noise disturbance as defined by subsection 4 between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is plainly heard from the receiving land at a distance of 50 feet from the noise source."

§ 19-151(2): "Notwithstanding any other provision herein, it shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, cause, or permit any noise disturbance."

§ 19-151(2)b: "Determinations must be made from the receiving land, after locating the sound source, by the Sheriff's Office personnel using his or her normal auditory senses, where applicable, without the use of any hearing enhancement or hearing aid."

§ 19-149: "Noise disturbance means one or a group of excessive, loud, harsh, raucous, nonharmonious sounds or vibrations that unreasonably disturb, alarm, injure, harm or endanger the health or welfare of a reasonable person with normal sensitivities."

§ 19-152(5): "Noise created by operation of equipment or conduct of activities normal to residential or agricultural communities such as lawn care, soil cultivation, domestic power tools, lawn mowers, maintenance of trees, hedges, gardens, saws and tractors, street sweepers, mosquito fogging, tree trimming and limb chipping and other normal community operations, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m."

§ 19-154: "Nothing in this article shall prohibit the Lee County Sheriff's Office from charging persons responsible for acts which affect the peace and quiet of persons who may witness them for breach of the peace or disorderly conduct under F.S. § 877.03, as may be amended from time to time."

§ 19-155: "In addition to the penalties provided for violation of this article, the Board of County Commissioners is hereby authorized to institute any appropriate action or proceeding including suit for injunctive relief in order to prevent or abate violations of this article."

§ 1-7(c): "Except as otherwise provided by law or ordinance:" ... "A person convicted of a violation of this Code shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500.00, a definite term of imprisonment not to exceed 60 days, or any combination thereof."

Quoted verbatim from the official text (Lee County Code Chapter 19 Article VI (Noise Control), the Lee County Noise Control Ordinance. Lee County Code of Ordinances on Municode, "Codified through Ordinance No. 25-25, enacted December 5, 2025. (Supp. No. 7)", version dated Jun 17, 2026: Chapter 19 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions), Article VI (Noise Control), Secs. 19-147 to 19-157 (Code 1974, §§ 24¼-1 to 24¼-12; Ord. No. 14-18, 9-2-2014; Ord. No. 22-10, 4-19-2022, amending Secs. 19-149, 19-151, 19-152, 19-154 and 19-157; Ord. No. 23-05, § 2, 4-4-2023, amending Sec. 19-151); Chapter 1 (General Provisions), Sec. 1-7 (General penalty; continuing violations). This page uses the codified text on Municode; the ordinance PDFs were not available to read. Text read 2026-11-04.). Verified against the live code on 2026-11-04. 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 Lee County

For noise in unincorporated Lee County, call the Lee County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line, 239-477-1000, which answers 24 hours a day, and call 911 for an emergency. County Code Enforcement does not take noise: its page lists "Noise: Lee County Sheriff's Office" among the issues it does not handle. The code makes the Sheriff's Office the authority for the ordinance (Sec. 19-149). Personnel run either a sound level test or a noise disturbance determination (Sec. 19-154). The Sheriff's Office says you are not required to give your name and address when you call, though a phone number helps deputies follow up. Penalties: Article VI as published on Municode states no fine amount and names no penalty section. Sec. 19-155 refers to "the penalties provided for violation of this article", but no section of the article sets one. The County Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7, covers any act an ordinance makes unlawful, except as otherwise provided by law or ordinance: the violation is prosecuted the way misdemeanors are, a person convicted faces a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense. Article VI does not mention Sec. 1-7. Its history notes skip from section 9 to section 11 of Ordinance 14-18, and that ordinance could not be read, so a penalty written for noise cannot be ruled out. The Sheriff's Office may also charge breach of the peace or disorderly conduct under Florida Statutes § 877.03 (Sec. 19-154), and the Board of County Commissioners may seek an injunction (Sec. 19-155). For a barking dog, the County's Code Enforcement page sends animal complaints to Lee County Domestic Animal Services, 239-533-7387. Its Forms page says you would file a sworn statement with proof, such as video of the barking, that citations may follow a supervisor's review, and that you may have to testify in court. The County's animal rules sit outside Article VI and are not summarized here. Inside a city, town or village, Article VI does not apply. The Village of Estero and the Town of Fort Myers Beach both send noise complaints to the Sheriff at 239-477-1000; elsewhere, ask that city. Sources: https://library.municode.com/fl/lee_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH1GEPR (Sec. 1-7), https://www.sheriffleefl.org/contact-us/, https://www.sheriffleefl.org/communications/, https://www.leefl.gov/194/Code-Enforcement, https://www.leefl.gov/231/Forms, https://estero-fl.gov/code-enforcement/ and https://fortmyersbeachfl.gov/1043/Help-After-Hours.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Lee 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: Article VI applies in all of unincorporated Lee County (Sec. 19-147). Lee County's municipalities are outside it: the Village of Estero's code page lists the City of Fort Myers, the City of Cape Coral, the City of Bonita Springs, the Town of Fort Myers Beach and the City of Sanibel as separate from unincorporated Lee County. The Cape Coral map linked from this page is a reference only: Article VI does not apply in Cape Coral. (2) Two separate tests: a violation can be proved by a reading over the limit or by a noise disturbance, and if a measurement is unavailable or cannot be taken, the disturbance route can be used instead (Sec. 19-151). (3) The officer picks the table: Table 2 is read at the property line of the noise source, not at yours, and allows more, 72 dBA at night against 55 dBA at a home under Table 1. (4) Bass counts: every limit has a C-weighted partner, the meter may be set to either weighting (Sec. 19-151(1)d), and noise includes low frequency sounds caused by amplified bass music that can result in vibration of structures or persons (Sec. 19-149). (5) Background noise matters: a measurement must be at least five dB above the ambient noise level (Sec. 19-149). (6) Who was there first: where a commercial or industrial use was established before homes moved in next to it, the homes get the commercial or industrial limit, and that history is an affirmative defense, meaning the business must raise and show it (Sec. 19-151(1)b). (7) Captiva has its own night rule. Duly permitted events at resort properties zoned for such activities are exempt if the noise stays within the resort-owned property, and a noise disturbance there needs a determination by Sheriff's Office personnel on the scene. The rule refers to a noise disturbance "as defined by subsection 4"; Article VI defines the term in Sec. 19-149 and sets its standards in Sec. 19-151(2). (8) Holidays: noises consistent with culturally or traditionally observed holidays such as New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day are not violations (Sec. 19-152(9)). (9) Waivers: relief from the decibel limits is requested in writing from the County Manager or designee, lasts no longer than 180 days and can be renewed, and a decision can be appealed to the Lee County Hearing Examiner within 30 days. Industrial or commercial operations in existence on or before April 29, 1993 are one listed case (Sec. 19-153). (10) Anonymous reports: the rule on the County's Code Enforcement page, that anyone reporting a code violation must give a full name and address, applies to that office. Noise goes to the Sheriff's Office instead. (11) Conflicts: where Article VI conflicts with another ordinance or statute, the most restrictive requirement applies (Sec. 19-157). The article's state law note points to Florida Statutes §§ 316.293 and 403.415 for motor vehicle noise.

Document it before you report it

Some of Lee County's limits are measured numbers, so a reading can help, and a dated log counts either way. 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 Cape Coral noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.