Noise ordinances › Madison, WI

Madison noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: July 11, 2026

Quiet hours in Madison

No single citywide residential quiet-hours clause; restrictions are activity-specific. Construction: no operation of construction equipment "between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., from Monday through Saturday" and on Sunday "before 10:00 a.m. and after 7 p.m." (Sec. 24.08(3)(f)). Solid-waste collection/compacting: banned 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. within 200 ft of residential use (Sec. 24.04(7)). Street sound amplification citywide is allowed only 12:00 noon–1:30 p.m. and 5:00–7:00 p.m. (Sec. 24.04(3)(a)). Private noise amplification permits only 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun–Thu, 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri–Sat (Sec. 24.04(9)(b)8). Otherwise the general "unreasonably disturb" nuisance standard of Sec. 24.04(1)-(2) applies at any hour.

Decibel limits

Yes — objective limits plus a nuisance standard. Sec. 24.08(6)(a) (stationary noise, A-weighted, ANSI Type 1/2 meter) sets a receiving-zone × source-zone matrix: a source zoned residential is capped at 65 dBA into any receiving zone, a mixed-zoned source at 70 dBA, and an industrial-zoned source at 75 dBA — and anything received in a Residential/Conservancy/Planned Mobile Home Park zone is capped at 65 dBA regardless of source. No day/night split in the table. Impulse noise: limits reduced by 5 dBA (Sec. 24.08(6)(b)). Vehicles: 80 dBA max for light motor vehicles measured at 15+ ft (Sec. 24.09(4)); motor-vehicle sound systems may not be audible at 50+ ft (Sec. 24.09(6)(a)). Separately, Sec. 24.04 imposes a subjective "tends to unreasonably disturb" standard with no dB threshold.

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 24.04(1): "It shall be unlawful for any person to make or assist in making any noise tending to unreasonably disturb the peace and quiet of persons in the vicinity thereof unless the making and continuing of the same cannot be prevented and is necessary for the protection or preservation of property or of the health, safety, life or limb of some person."

Sec. 24.08(3)(f)1: "No person shall operate or permit the operation of any equipment used in construction work between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., from Monday through Saturday, in such a manner as to unreasonably interfere with the peace, comfort and quality of life of neighboring persons of ordinary sensibilities, except as otherwise provided in this subsection (f)."

Sec. 24.09(4): "It shall be unlawful for any person to cause noise levels from the operation of a light motor vehicle in excess of 80 dBA at any location within the corporate limits of the City of Madison. Measurement can be made at any distance greater than or equal to fifteen (15) feet from the closest approach to the vehicle."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Madison General Ordinances (MGO) Chapter 24 "Offenses Against Peace and Quiet": Sec. 24.04 (Prohibition of Noises Disturbing the Public Peace — nuisance/plainly-audible standards, amplification), Sec. 24.08 (Noise Control Regulation — dB limits, construction hours, enforcement), Sec. 24.09 (Light Motor Vehicle Noise Control — 80 dBA vehicle limit, car stereos). Penalties: Sec. 24.08(10) and Sec. 24.20. Current through Rev. 27 Supp. 4, codified through ORD-26-00022 (May 15, 2026).). 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 Madison

City page: https://www.cityofmadison.com/live-work/noise-complaints. Madison has no 311; route depends on the noise. Loud parties, car stereos, car alarms, barking dogs, after-hours construction: Madison Police non-emergency 608-266-4275 (press 6 / say "occurring now"). Construction noise (first report): Building Inspection Division 608-266-4551 (ext. 4) or binspection@cityofmadison.com (https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/bi/construction-noise/41/). Per Sec. 24.08(4)(b), the Building Inspection Division is the primary enforcement agency for the 24.08 dB limits and its Director investigates all complaints; the Police Department enforces the vehicle-equipment standards of Secs. 24.08(6)(c)-(f); the city routes Sec. 24.09 vehicle-noise complaints to police in practice (the code itself names no enforcement agency for 24.09).

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) Busker/amplification micro-regulation: amplified sound on the State Street Mall requires a Parks Division permit and is confined to named performance spots ("The Confluence at Library Mall," "The Forum," Elizabeth Link Peace Park, Concrete Park/Frances Plaza) with tightly scheduled hour windows; amplification is banned in the 700-800 blocks of State St during the 4 days before and throughout UW final exams (Sec. 24.04(3)(b)). (2) Backyard-party permit: a Private Noise Amplification Permit (Sec. 24.04(9)) needs a $30 fee, signatures from 75% of residential units within 400 ft, sound not "plainly audible... from a distance of more than 400 feet," max 3 consecutive hours, and only once per address per 180 days. (3) Exemptions (Sec. 24.08(3)): emergency work, authorized emergency vehicles, permitted events, public works projects, licensed fireworks displays, and "any bells or chimes of any building clock, public or private school building, church, synagogue, or other place of religious worship." (4) Penalties: 24.08(10) forfeitures of $25-$100 per offense per day, escalating to $100-$300 (one prior in 12 months) and $300-$500 (two+ priors); chapter default $25-$500 (Sec. 24.20); car-stereo violations $40-$80 first, $100-$200 repeat (Sec. 24.09(6)(b)). (5) An ambient-noise variance is available when background noise already exceeds the limits (Sec. 24.08(7)). (6) Note a discrepancy: the city's noise-complaints page says car stereos "may not be audible from more than 75 feet away" (the state-statute figure), while MGO 24.09(6)(a) as codified says 50 feet — cite the ordinance text.

Document it before you report it

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