Noise ordinances › Miami-Dade County, FL

Miami-Dade County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 4, 2026

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

Quiet hours in Miami-Dade County

Sec. 21-28 has no single quiet period. Its general ban on unreasonably loud, excessive, unnecessary or unusual noise applies at any hour (Sec. 21-28(2)), and several listed acts carry their own hours. Sound devices: running a radio, television, musical instrument or other sound device between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. so that it is plainly audible at 100 feet from the building, structure, vessel, floating structure or vehicle it is in or on is prima facie evidence of a violation, meaning it counts as proof unless it is rebutted (Sec. 21-28(4)(b) as Municode prints it). File 260997, adopted by the Board on May 5, 2026, rewrites that sentence to 100 feet or more from a building, structure or vehicle and 25 feet or more from a vessel or floating structure. This page relies on the Board's words for that sentence, but Municode does not show them yet and the effective date is not confirmed (see Worth knowing). Power tools and landscaping equipment used outdoors at a residence, including lawn mowers, edgers, weed trimmers, blowers, chippers and chain saws: banned between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., but someone using them between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. must first be given a warning (Sec. 21-28(4)(k)). Construction, repair, alteration or demolition tools and machinery at, next to or plainly audible at the exterior property line of a residence, including multi-family residences: banned between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m., unless an exception or temporary permit applies (Sec. 21-28(4)(m)). Open-air music under a Sec. 21-28.1 permit: one calendar date, no more than six hours, and it may not start or continue past 11 p.m. (Sec. 21-28.1(b)). Train horns and whistles: banned between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at signed public grade crossings that have automatic bells, flashing lights and gates, for railroads operating wholly within Florida (Sec. 21-27.3(b), (c)). Cities may set their own noise rules (Sec. 21-28(1)(c)).

Decibel limits — or rather, the lack of them

Sec. 21-28 and Sec. 21-28.1 contain no decibel figure, no weighting and no measuring method, so a meter reading is not the legal test. This page read Chapter 21, Article IV, not every chapter of the County Code, so it describes the noise sections only. Noise is unlawful if it is unreasonably loud, excessive, unnecessary or unusual (Sec. 21-28(2)). A sound device breaks the rule if it disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants, or if at any time it is louder than needed for convenient hearing by the voluntary listeners in the room, vehicle, vessel, floating structure or chamber where it is played (Sec. 21-28(4)(b)). The numbers in the section are distances and times: 100 feet for sound devices from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., or 25 feet from a vessel or floating structure under File 260997, whose effective date is not confirmed (Sec. 21-28(4)(b)), and 100 feet for a dog, animal or bird whose noise is frequent, habitual or long continued, meaning it lasts more than 30 minutes, or runs for at least three separate periods of more than 15 minutes each within three consecutive days (Sec. 21-28(4)(c)). A city's own rules can differ: the Miami page, for example, lists that city's limits for mechanical equipment.

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 21-28(1)(b): "This section shall apply to both the incorporated and unincorporated areas. In the unincorporated area, this section shall be enforced by the County, and in the incorporated areas, this section shall be enforced by the municipalities. It is provided, however, that this shall not be construed to limit the County's authority to enforce this section within a municipality that has not adopted its own regulations as provided in paragraph (c) below."

Sec. 21-28(1)(c): "Each municipality may establish and enforce its own noise regulations, whether more or less stringent than the provisions of this section."

Sec. 21-28(2): "It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any unreasonably loud, excessive, unnecessary, or unusual noise."

Sec. 21-28(4)(b), first sentence as printed on Municode: "The using, operating, or permitting to be played, used or operated any radio receiving set, television set, musical instrument, phonograph, or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants, or at any time with louder volume than is necessary for convenient hearing for the person or persons who are in or on the room, vehicle, vessel, floating structure, or chamber in which such machine or device is operated and who are voluntary listeners thereto."

Sec. 21-28(4)(b), second sentence as printed on Municode: "The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet from the building, structure, vessel, floating structure, or vehicle in or on which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section."

Sec. 21-28(4)(b), second sentence as adopted May 5, 2026 in File 260997, not yet printed on Municode (double brackets mark deleted words, double arrows mark added words): "The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of [[one hundred (100)]] >>100<< feet >>or more<< from the building, structure>>, or vehicle in or on which it is located<<, >>or 25 feet or more from the<< vessel[[,]] >>or<< floating structure[[, or vehicle]] in or on which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section."

Sec. 21-28(4)(c): "The owning, harboring, possessing or keeping of any dog, animal or bird which causes frequent, habitual or long continued noise which is plainly audible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet from the building, structure or yard in which the dog, animal or bird is located."

Sec. 21-28(4)(k): "The operation of noise-producing lawn mowers, lawn edgers, weed trimmers, blowers, chippers, chain saws, power tools, and other noise-producing tools that are used for any purpose outdoors at a residence between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. It is provided, however, that any person who violates this subparagraph by operating any such noise-producing equipment or tools outdoors at a residence between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. shall first be given a warning to cease the prohibited activity before any fines, penalties, or other punishment may be imposed."

Sec. 21-28(4)(m): "The operation of any noise-producing tools, equipment, or machinery used in construction, repair, alteration, or demolition work at, adjacent to or adjoining, or otherwise plainly audible at the exterior property line of a residence, including multi-family residences, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m."

Sec. 21-28(3): "Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be punished by (i) a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00); (ii) imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days; (iii) both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the cause; (iv) fines in accordance with Chapter 8CC; (v) remedies provided in section 1-5; or (vi) completion of the Miami-Dade County Diversion Program, pursuant to Implementing Order of the Board of County Commissioners."

Sec. 1-5(d): "Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any person who violates a provision of this Code or any lawful rule, regulation or written order promulgated under this Code is subject to the judicial imposition of a civil penalty for each offense of an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per offense."

Sec. 21-28.1(b): "No permit shall issue which encompasses more than one (1) calendar date, or a span of hours in excess of six (6) hours; nor shall the requested activity commence or continue beyond the hour of 11:00 p.m. in any case."

Quoted verbatim from the official text (Code of Miami-Dade County Sec. 21-28, with Secs. 21-28.1, 21-27.3 and 1-5 and the 2026 amendment in File 260997. Code of Miami-Dade County on Municode, "Codified through Ordinance No. 26-59, enacted July 21, 2026. (Supp. No. 136)", online content updated September 23, 2026: Chapter 21 "Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions", Article IV "Miscellaneous", Sec. 21-28 "Noises; unnecessary and excessive prohibited" (Ord. No. 58-5, § 21.07, 2-18-58; Ord. No. 96-130, § 1, 9-10-96; Ord. No. 10-52, § 5, 9-21-10; Ord. No. 22-13, § 2, 2-1-22; Ord. No. 22-50, § 1, 5-3-22; Ord. No. 23-32, § 2, 5-2-23; Ord. No. 23-88, § 2, 10-3-23); Sec. 21-28.1 "Open-air concerts, musical broadcasts, etc." (Ord. No. 80-84, § 1, 7-17-80); Sec. 21-27.3 "Railroad train whistle and horn noise pollution prohibited" (Ord. No. 81-56, § 1, 5-19-81, through Ord. No. 86-89, § 1, 11-18-86); Chapter 1 "General Provisions", Sec. 1-5 (Ord. No. 79-26, § 1, 4-3-79; Ord. No. 99-54, § 1, 5-25-99; Ord. No. 20-66, § 5, 7-16-20). Board of County Commissioners Legislative File 260997, Reference 26-25, status "Adopted as amended", final action 5/5/2026, agenda item 7B, which amends Sec. 21-28(4)(b), is not yet shown in the Municode text or history, and leaves its Effective Date field blank; File 231023 (Ordinance No. 23-32) for the construction rule. 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 Miami-Dade County

In unincorporated Miami-Dade County, call the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office non-emergency line, 305-Sheriff (305-743-7433), for loud music, a party or other noise happening now, and 911 for an emergency. That is the number on the Sheriff's Office home page and contact page, which do not mention noise. Two County pages give a different number for noise: the Environmental Complaints page lists noise under the Miami-Dade Police Department at 305-476-5423, and the Report Animal Nuisance page calls 305-476-5423 both the Police Department's and the Sheriff's Office's non-emergency line. Nothing read for this page says that either number has been retired, so the Sheriff's Office's own number comes first here. For barking dogs or noisy birds, the Report Animal Nuisance page says officers from the Neighborhood Resource Unit respond, that an officer who hears the noise firsthand may issue a $100 fine on the spot, that an unpaid fine may result in a lien on the property, and that a homeowner who rents out a property may be held responsible for a tenant's noisy pets. The Environmental Complaints page lists noise among the matters it sends elsewhere, and the Neighborhood Compliance page does not list noise among its topics. No County page read here names a line for night construction noise. Inside a city, Sec. 21-28(1)(b) leaves enforcement to the municipality, so call that city's police or code office (see the Miami and Hialeah pages); the Sheriff's Office home page also lists municipal district stations for Miami Lakes (305-827-4020), Cutler Bay (305-234-4237) and Palmetto Bay (305-278-4000). The code's penalties are a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, or fines under Chapter 8CC, remedies under Sec. 1-5, or completing the County's Diversion Program (Sec. 21-28(3)). Sec. 1-5 allows an injunction or other court order, makes a violator liable for damage to the County and its enforcement costs, and lets a court impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per offense, each day a separate offense (Sec. 1-5(c), (d)). It does not permit or require the County to bring a case on behalf of a private person (Sec. 1-5(f)). Chapter 8CC was not part of the text read for this page, so its fine amounts are not given here. Sources: https://www.mdso.com/, https://www.mdso.com/contact-sheriffs-office, https://www.miamidade.gov/global/environment/code-compliance/environmental-complaints.page, https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser159923889745380 and https://www.miamidade.gov/global/economy/neighborhood-compliance/home.page.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Miami-Dade 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: this is a countywide rule with a local opt-out. Sec. 21-28 applies in both incorporated and unincorporated areas. The County enforces it in the unincorporated area and municipalities enforce it in theirs, and the County may still enforce it inside a municipality that has not adopted its own regulations (Sec. 21-28(1)(b)). Any municipality may adopt its own noise rules, stricter or looser than the County's, and must file them with the Clerk of the Board, though they are enforceable without that filing (Sec. 21-28(1)(c)). So the answer depends on your address: the City of Miami and the City of Hialeah are separate jurisdictions with their own noise rules (see the Miami and Hialeah pages). (2) Which text this page relies on: on May 5, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners adopted File 260997 (Reference 26-25), whose adopted text sets the sound-device distance at 25 feet for vessels and floating structures and keeps 100 feet for buildings, structures and vehicles; its recitals point to boaters playing music at unreasonably high volumes close to homes and say the Board wishes to reduce the "100-foot standard to 25 feet as it relates to vessels and floating structures". An earlier version, File 260237, would have covered vehicles too, but the adopted text does not. Municode's current version, codified through Ordinance No. 26-59, still prints 100 feet for everything, and its history for Sec. 21-28 stops at Ord. No. 23-88, October 3, 2023. This page follows the Board's file for that one sentence and Municode for the rest of the section. The ordinance says it takes effect ten days after enactment unless vetoed; the Board's file shows no veto, but its Effective Date field is blank, so the effective date is not confirmed and this page does not say the 25-foot distance is in force. The first sentence of Sec. 21-28(4)(b), which bans sound that disturbs the neighbors, reads the same in both texts. (3) Animals: a person counts as keeping an animal if they have confined it to the property, or have intentionally fed it or another animal of the same species on the property within the preceding 14 days (Sec. 21-28(4)(c)(1)). (4) Yard work has a grace hour: from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. a person must get a warning before any fine or penalty (Sec. 21-28(4)(k)). (5) Night construction: the ban does not cover emergency work, work that would qualify for an emergency building permit, bona fide agricultural purposes, or construction by or for a public utility (Sec. 21-28(4)(m)(i)). The Mayor or Mayor's designee may issue a temporary permit for earlier or later work in the unincorporated area, or in incorporated areas where the County exercises zoning jurisdiction, after finding no reasonable alternatives, no open construction noise cases, and a community need, public purpose or benefit; the applicant must show that neighbors got notice at least 72 hours before work starts (Sec. 21-28(4)(m)(ii)). The code sets the fee at $130 or as set by implementing order, and Implementing Order 4-63 lists $130.00. The County's news item calls this a Temporary Noise Ordinance Waiver and says it requires an active building permit, and the application form notes a maximum of 60 days. (6) Open-air music calculated to attract a crowd needs a permit, and using an amplifier or loudspeaker is prima facie evidence of that, but no permit is needed inside the residential property where the person lives (Sec. 21-28.1(a)). Applications are due at least five days before the event (Sec. 21-28.1(d)). The section still names the Miami-Dade Police Department as the permit office, and the pages read here do not say which office issues these permits now. Violations carry up to 30 days in the County Jail, a fine of up to $500, or both (Sec. 21-28.1(j)). (7) Each listed act is a separate violation, and the list is not exclusive (Sec. 21-28(4)). It also covers needless horn use, whistles, unmuffled exhausts, noisy vehicles in a residential area, hawkers, loud shouting in a residential area, and sound trucks or vehicle loudspeakers on public streets, with an exception for legitimate use in political campaigns (Sec. 21-28(4)(a), (d) to (f), (h), (j), (l)). Boat engine or exhaust noise may be enforced under Sec. 7-26.1 and section 327.65, Florida Statutes (Sec. 21-28(4)(e)). (8) Enforcement must respect state and federal preemption, including for agricultural uses, blasting and aviation noise (Sec. 21-28(1)(a)).

Document it before you report it

Miami-Dade County 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 see the nearest city we map, on the Miami noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.