Noise ordinances › Lincoln, NE

Lincoln noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 5, 2026

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

Quiet hours in Lincoln

10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. is the night band for every property-line standard in § 8.24.090(a) and for Table 1: radios, televisions, instruments and similar devices drop from 60 to 50 dB(A), loudspeakers and public address systems from 60 to 50, animals and birds from 65 to 55, loading and unloading from 65 to 55, vehicle or motorboat repairs from 65 to 55, powered model vehicles from 65 to 55, stationary nonemergency bells, chimes and sirens from 65 to 55, and stationary motorcycles and light vehicles from 65 to 55; Table 1 drops from 65 to 55 dB(A) for residential receiving land and from 60 to 50 for noise-sensitive zones and agricultural residential land, and the impulsive-sound peaks in Table 2 for those receiving uses are reduced by 10 dBA at night. Agricultural receiving land uses 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. instead (Table 1: 75 by day, 50 at night; Table 2 reduced by 20 dBA). Construction: tools or equipment used in construction, drilling or demolition may not create a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or noise-sensitive zone between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., on any day, except emergency work of public service utilities or under a variance; domestic power tools of a type normally found in the home are not covered (§ 8.24.090(a)(5)). Refuse collection and refuse compacting: banned from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in a residential area or noise-sensitive zone, and in a commercial or industrial area where the point of collection or compaction is within 100 feet of one (§ 8.24.090(a)(15)). All activities within a commercial or industrial land area are exempt from the general or specific provisions of the loading and unloading, vehicle repair and standing heavy truck rules (§ 8.24.090(a)(4), (6) and (16)(i)) between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (§ 8.24.090(c)). Organized motor-vehicle racing may not run after 10:00 p.m. or before 10:00 a.m. (a half-hour extension is allowed for an emergency delay), and tuning or practice at a racing facility may not run after 9:30 p.m. or before 10:00 a.m. (§ 8.24.120), except at a track operating under a special permit under § 27.63.570. The car-stereo rule in § 10.14.460(b) has no hours.

Decibel limits

Yes, as standards for proving a "noise disturbance". § 8.24.090(a) prohibits any noise disturbance and lists acts that violate it; for most listed acts it gives "property line noise standards" that "may be applied to the residential receiving land use or noise-sensitive zone", and for sources not specifically listed (and for listed sources where the receiving land is not residential or a noise-sensitive zone) Table 1 may be applied. Measurements are made "at or within the property boundary of the receiving land use" with at least an ANSI Type II meter (§ 8.24.090(b)). Listed sources, by day (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) / night (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.): radios, televisions, instruments and similar devices 60/50 dB(A), maximum 3-minute Leq (activities open to the public with any required permit are excepted and get permit-set limits); loudspeakers and public address systems 60/50, 1-minute Leq; animals and birds 65/55, 1-minute Leq; loading and unloading 65/55, 5-minute Leq; vehicle or motorboat repairs and testing 65/55, 5-minute Leq; powered model vehicles 65/55, 3-minute Leq (in a public space measured at 50 feet); stationary nonemergency signaling devices 65/55, 1-minute Leq; stationary motorcycles and vehicles under 10,000 lbs. GVWR 65/55, 15-second Leq, measured no closer than 25 feet from the property line of the vehicle's property. Table 1 (maximum 10-minute Leq, slow response): residential 65 dB(A) 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 55 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; noise-sensitive zone or agricultural residential 60 and 50; commercial or business 70 at all times; industrial 75 at all times; agricultural 75 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Table 2 caps impulsive sound (fast-hold peaks, measured no closer than 25 feet from the source's property line) by number of peaks per hour: residential, noise-sensitive and agricultural residential 85 dBA for 1 peak down to 61 for 16 or more by day, 10 dBA lower at night; commercial 90 to 66; industrial 95 to 71; agricultural 95 to 71 by day and 20 dBA lower at night. Other limits: portable air compressors 76 dBA at 23 feet (§ 8.24.090(a)(12)); exhaust systems judged adequate under Table 3 stationary limits (automobiles, vans and light trucks 95 dBA front-engine or 99 rear and mid-engine, motorcycles 102, heavy trucks 90); vehicles on public right-of-way, measured at 50 feet (Table 4, § 8.24.100): carriers of 10,000 lbs. or more 86 dBA at 35 mph or less and 90 over 35 mph, motorcycles 76, 80 and 84 dBA at 25 mph or less, 25 to 40 mph and over 40 mph, other vehicles 70, 76 and 79; off-road motor vehicles, motorcycles and snowmobiles 78 dBA (Table 5, § 8.24.110); locomotives and rail cars (Tables 6 and 7, § 8.24.130). Construction (§ 8.24.090(a)(5)), noise-sensitive zones (§ 8.24.090(a)(9)) and horns (§ 8.24.090(a)(11)) have no decibel standard and turn on a noise disturbance. A limit set by another city department for a specific source governs if different (§ 8.24.090(d)). The health officer must order an immediate halt to continuous sound at or above the Table 8 exposure levels (90 dBA for 24 hours up to 108 dBA for 22 minutes) or impulsive sound above Table 9 (145 dBA once, 135 dBA 10 times, 125 dBA 100 times in 24 hours), unless the only people exposed are trespassers, invitees of the person making the sound, or employees (§ 8.24.160(b)).

What the ordinance actually says

§ 8.24.050: "Noise disturbance shall mean any sound not occurring in the natural environment which would tend to annoy or disturb humans with reasonable sensitivities, or which injures or endangers the comfort, health, welfare, hearing, peace, or safety of other persons."

§ 8.24.090(a): "No person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any noise disturbance. For sources of noise other than those specifically listed in this subsection, determinations of noise disturbances may be made through application of the sound level limits listed at Table 1."

§ 8.24.090(a)(1): "In all other cases, property line noise standards for the residential receiving land use or noise-sensitive zone may be applied to determine the existence of noise disturbance. The standards are 60 db(a), maximum three minute Leq, for the time period 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and 50 db(a), maximum three minute Leq, for the time period 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m."

§ 8.24.090(b): "Measurements to determine whether a noise disturbance exists shall be made at or within the property boundary of the receiving land use. The measurements shall be made with a sound level meter meeting the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), or its successor body, for a minimum of a Type II meter."

§ 8.24.090(a)(5)(i): "Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day on any day in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or noise-sensitive zone, except for emergency work of public service utilities or by variance issued pursuant to this ordinance."

§ 10.14.460(b): "It shall be unlawful for any person in the operation of a motor vehicle to operate any radio, tape player, compact disc player, stereophonic sound system, or any similar device which reproduces or amplifies radio broadcasts, or musical recordings, in or upon any street, alley, or other public place in such a manner as to be audible to other persons in such public place more than 50 feet from the motor vehicle."

§ 8.24.170(a): "Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter, except Subsections 8.24.090(a)(10), 8.24.090(a)(14), and Section 8.24.100, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in an amount not exceeding $500.00 or be imprisoned in the county jail for a period of not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Lincoln Municipal Code, Title 8 Health and Sanitation, Chapter 8.24 "Noise Control Ordinance", §§ 8.24.010 to 8.24.180 (Ord. 12722, Oct. 29, 1979; Ord. 13499, Dec. 6, 1982; Ord. 15558, May 14, 1990; § 8.24.080 Ord. 19824, Jan. 28, 2013; § 8.24.140 Ord. 20859, Jan. 6, 2020; § 8.24.150 last amended by Ord. 20075, Aug. 18, 2014): 8.24.010 citation, 8.24.020 policy, 8.24.030 purpose, 8.24.040 scope, 8.24.050 definitions, 8.24.060 administration, 8.24.070 duties of health officer, 8.24.080 periodic reports, 8.24.090 noise disturbances prohibited (Tables 1 to 3), 8.24.100 motorized vehicles and motorcycles on public right-of-way (Table 4), 8.24.110 off public right-of-way (Table 5), 8.24.120 racing events, 8.24.130 rail carrier operation, 8.24.140 exception, 8.24.150 variances, 8.24.160 abatement orders (Tables 8 and 9), 8.24.170 penalty (Table 10), 8.24.180 additional remedy, injunction; with § 10.14.460 "Unnecessary Noise From Motor Vehicle" (Ord. 19749, Aug. 6, 2012), § 6.04.435 "Animal Noise; Disturbing the Peace Prohibited" (Ord. 19417, July 26, 2010) and § 9.20.050 "Disturbing the Peace" (Ord. 20707, Sept. 17, 2018). Text read on enCodePlus (online.encodeplus.com/regs/lincoln-ne), the host the City Attorney's Office page on lincoln.ne.gov links as "Lincoln Municipal Code"; the viewer shows no supplement or currency date. Read on 2026-10-05.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-05. 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 Lincoln

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department administers the noise control program (§ 8.24.060), and "The health officer or a police officer of the City of Lincoln" enforces it (§ 8.24.180). The City's UPLNK service-request system ("a free app hosted on the SeeClickFix platform", per lincoln.ne.gov) has a "Health - Noise Complaints - (non-police)" request type whose instructions say: "DO NOT use this complaint form to report excessive noise from vehicles, racing, parties, arguments, or other sources of noise in residential areas after 10:00 pm, as those should be reported to the Lincoln Police Department at 402-441-6000"; barking dogs go to Animal Control at 402-441-7900; "Please call 402-441-8040 to report activities occurring during business hours (8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Mon-Fri, excluding holidays)"; the form "is not actively monitored", the Health Department may need to measure sound at the complainant's address, and the City "cannot guarantee your anonymity". The Lincoln Police Department directory lists "Non-Emergency (402) 441-6000". The UPLNK page says UPLNK is not for emergencies (call 9-1-1) and that City staff respond to requests during regular business hours. The Health Department's Air Quality Section, (402) 441-8040, also takes noise variance applications (form v. 09/2026, variance fee $180.00 per variance). Sources: https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/Payments-Services/UPLNK, https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Police/Directory and https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/9/health-dept/environmental/air-quality-forms-amp-apps/noisevarianceapplication.pdf (the UPLNK request-type wording was read on the City's UPLNK portal at seeclickfix.com).

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Lincoln. 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) The ordinance reaches sound originating in the city and within three miles of it (§ 8.24.040). (2) The legal test is a "noise disturbance"; the decibel figures are standards that "may be applied" to determine one, so a violation can be shown without a meter and a reading is evidence rather than the definition. (3) Two residential numbers coexist: music, televisions and loudspeakers are held to 60/50 dB(A) over 3-minute or 1-minute averages, while the general Table 1 for unlisted sources allows 65/55 over 10 minutes for residential land (60/50 for noise-sensitive zones), and the averaging window differs by source (15 seconds for stationary motorcycles and light vehicles, 1, 3 or 5 minutes for other listed sources, 10 minutes for Table 1). (4) Events open to the public that hold any required permit are outside the music standard; for permitted activities a property-line and/or time limit is set by agreement among the permit grantor, the health officer and the grantee (§ 8.24.090(a)(1)). (5) Construction has no decibel standard of its own: the listed construction act covers noise disturbances across a residential real property boundary or noise-sensitive zone between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and that subsection does not apply to domestic power tools of a type normally found in the home (§ 8.24.090(a)(5)); the general ban on "any noise disturbance" that opens § 8.24.090(a) has no hours. (6) Noise-sensitive zones are churches (except residential units), synagogues, mosques, libraries, schools, day care centers, preschools, health care facilities, housing for the elderly, mobile home courts, auditoriums, concert halls and music shells, but the designation applies only to structures built after the ordinance took effect (§ 8.24.050). (7) Motor vehicles over 10,000 lbs. GVWR, or auxiliary equipment attached to them, may not be operated while stationary (for reasons other than traffic congestion) for more than five minutes in any hour within 150 feet of a residential area or designated noise-sensitive zone so as to cause a noise disturbance; Table 1 is used for periods over five minutes, emergency vehicles on duty are exempt, and commercial and industrial areas are exempt from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (§ 8.24.090(a)(16)(i), (c)). (8) Farms over ten acres that predate the surrounding land use are exempt if they were not causing noise disturbances before the change (§ 8.24.090(e)); emergency signals and work, emergency generators and governmental services including training are exempt, but not clearly unnecessary excessive noise (§ 8.24.140). (9) Penalties: up to $500 and/or six months in the county jail, each day a separate offense (§ 8.24.170(a)); tampering with a muffler or noise label up to $100 (§ 8.24.170(b)); an inadequate exhaust system $35 to $100, with the right to ask the Health Department for a stationary test within ten days of the citation (§§ 8.24.090(a)(14), 8.24.170(c)); vehicles over the right-of-way limits face minimum fines of $20 for 1 to 4 dBA over, $35 for 5 to 9, $50 for 10 to 14, $75 for 15 to 19 and $100 for 20 or more (§ 8.24.170(d), Table 10). Abatement orders may be issued instead of prosecution, and violating one is a misdemeanor punishable by $100 to $500 and up to six months (§ 8.24.160). The health officer or a police officer may also seek an injunction against a device or vehicle operated in violation (§ 8.24.180). (10) Variances from § 8.24.090 may be granted by the health officer for up to fifteen calendar days on a showing of unreasonable hardship, with extensions requiring a posted sign and a two-day objection period and possibly a hearing; the fee is set by City Council resolution, and appeals go to district court (§ 8.24.150). (11) Car stereos are judged by audibility: more than 50 feet from the vehicle on a street, alley or other public place (§ 10.14.460(b)). (12) Animals: owning a bird or animal whose loud, continued or frequent noise, such as barking, howling or yelping, disturbs the peace and quiet of any person or neighborhood is a separate offense (§ 6.04.435); the animal standard in § 8.24.090(a)(3) does not apply to public zoos, the humane society or licensed veterinarians. (13) Disturbing the peace under § 9.20.050 requires intentionally or knowingly disturbing the peace and quiet of any person, family or neighborhood (up to three months and/or $500). (14) Related rules: a short-term rental license may be revoked if the premises draws three or more verified complaints of noise or other disturbance in one calendar year (§ 5.39.040), and residential recycling that exceeds the Table 1 residential limits or runs between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is a nuisance condition (§ 5.41.180).

Document it before you report it

Lincoln'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 Lincoln noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.