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Nashville noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Quiet hours in Nashville

Nashville does not set one blanket night-time quiet period. Instead Title 9 sets three separate clocks. First, business and commercial noise is capped at 70 Db(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Section 9.20.040.A (85 Db(A) if the business sits in the DTC or CF zoning districts, Section 9.20.040.B). Second, under Section 9.20.030.A a facility outside the DTC/CF districts that is within fifty feet of a residence and/or a natural conservation area may only provide amplified music or entertainment outdoors between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.; outside that window the entertainment has to be within a totally enclosed structure. Third, outdoor construction, repair and demolition is prohibited between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Section 9.30.010.A, and that restriction shifts to 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. during June, July and August; parcels zoned IWD, IR and IG are excluded, and in the Gulch South, Gulch North and Hope Gardens DTC subdistricts the prohibition is 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. year-round. Critically, the everyday neighbour rule in Section 9.20.010.A.1 carries no time limit at all: amplified sound that is plainly audible at the property line is unlawful at 2:00 p.m. just as much as at 2:00 a.m., so a complaint does not depend on the hour.

Decibel limits

Numeric limits exist, but none of them governs the ordinary residential neighbour case. Section 9.20.040.A caps business and commercial equipment, vehicles and heavy machinery at 70 Db(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., measured as close as possible to the outside walls of any residential structure located within a residential zoning district at a height of four feet; Section 9.20.040.B sets the same night-time cap at 85 Db(A) for business or commercial facilities located within the DTC and CF zoning districts. Inside the DTC district and contiguous CF properties, Section 9.20.010.B.2 limits an establishment's interior speakers to 85 Db(A) during business operating hours, measured at street level fifty linear feet from the outside wall of the structure, and to 70 Db(A) at or on the boundary of the nearest public right-of-way or park outside business operating hours; the same subsection requires interior speakers within ten feet of an open exterior door or window not to be oriented toward it. Section 9.20.010.B.3 holds all prerecorded music to 85 Db(A) measured the same way, and Section 9.20.010.B.4 allows an outside-seating dining establishment 85 Db(A) measured at street level fifty linear feet from its property line. Section 9.20.030.B.1 caps outdoor music and entertainment events at 85 Db(A) measured from any point within the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property at street level, applying to the DTC and contiguous CF areas plus a defined Music Row area; Section 9.20.030.C sets 85 Db(A) at the boundaries of a mass gathering site. Outside those specific situations there is no general decibel limit — a neighbour's stereo, party or band is judged by whether it is plainly audible at the property line (or, in a multifamily building, inside another unit), not by a meter reading. Measurements use the "A" Weighting Network on a type 2 or better sound level meter, taken as close as possible to the outside walls of any residential structure located on the property affected by the noise at a height of four feet above the immediate surrounding surface (Sections 9.10.010 and 9.10.020).

What the ordinance actually says

9.10.010 (Definitions): "Plainly audible" means any sound which clearly can be heard by unimpaired auditory senses; however, words or phrases need not be discernible and said sound shall include bass reverberation.

9.20.010.A (opening): Except for properties lying within an area zoned DTC district and properties zoned CF district that are contiguous to those zoned DTC district, it shall be unlawful for any person to:

9.20.010.A.1: Operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds that are plainly audible from the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property.

9.20.010.A.1 (multifamily): For multifamily structures, including apartments, condominiums, or other residential arrangements where boundary lines can not readily be determined, it shall be unlawful to operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds that are plainly audible from any point within the interior of another residential unit in the same complex or within the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property.

9.20.010.A.3: Operate or allow the operation for personal use of any sound amplification equipment on the public right-of-way, including streets or sidewalks, or in parks under control of the board of parks and recreation, so as to produce sounds that are plainly audible fifty feet or more from any electromechanical speaker.

9.20.040.A: No person or persons owning, operating, or having the care, custody, or control of any business or commercial facility shall be permitted to operate any equipment, vehicles, or heavy machinery incident to performing business or commercial functions, or engage in any other business or commercial activity between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. which would emit, cause to be emitted, or permit the emission of any noise in excess of 70 Db(A) as measured from a point as close as possible to the outside walls of any residential structure located within a residential zoning district affected by the noise at a height of four feet above the immediate surrounding surface.

9.20.030.A: Such music or other entertainment may be provided outside of a structure only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., except when exempted under provisions of the code as a special event, mass gathering or other permitted activity by metropolitan government or its boards or commissions.

9.30.010.A: Except as provided in subsection B, it is unlawful for any person to engage in the outdoor construction, repair or demolition of buildings, structures, land, driveways, or appurtenances thereto, on any parcel, excluding parcels zoned IWD, IR, and IG, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except that during the months of June, July, and August, the foregoing restriction shall be between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

9.20.010.B.3: Notwithstanding the foregoing, live music is expressly exempt from the 85 Db(A) limitation. Live music shall mean that musicians, instruments and singers will not be prerecorded.

9.20.020.A.3: Operate a motor vehicle if the exhaust noise is plainly audible at a distance of two hundred feet or more from the vehicle.

9.10.030 (Exemptions): The provisions of this Title shall not apply to airport uses.

11.12.070 (Excessive noise.): Excessive noise is governed by the provisions of Chapter 9.20 of this Code.

16.44.010 (Construction noise.): Construction noise is governed by the provisions of Chapter 9.30 of this Code.

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Metropolitan Code of Laws of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, Title 9 "Noise and Amplified Sound". The present Title 9 was enacted by Ord. BL2020-196, § 1, adopted May 5, 2020, which repealed the former Title 9 (§§ 9.10.010, 9.10.020, 9.20.010—9.20.060, 9.30.010—9.30.040, derived from Ord. BL2019-1631 § 2, 2019). It has been amended repeatedly since: 9.20.010 by Ord. BL2023-2106 §§ 1, 2, 2023; 9.20.020 by Ord. BL2021-911 § 6, 2021 and Ord. BL2025-1047 § 1, 2025 (with Amdt. 1); 9.20.060 by Ord. BL2023-2106 § 3, 2023; 9.30.010 by Ord. BL2020-300 § 1, 2020, Ord. BL2022-1164 § 1, 2022 and Ord. BL2024-180 § 1, 2024 (effective May 1, 2024); 9.30.020 by Ord. BL2020-300 § 1, 2020; and 9.30.030 by Ord. BL2022-1164 § 2, 2022. Chapter 9.10 General Provisions — 9.10.010 definitions (including "plainly audible", "sound amplification equipment", and "sound level meter", specified as a type 2 or better instrument per ANSI S1.4-1971), 9.10.020 measurement procedure ("A" Weighting Network; measured as close as possible to the outside walls of any residential structure located on the property affected by the noise at a height of four feet above the immediate surrounding surface), 9.10.030 exemption for airport uses. Chapter 9.20 Excessive Noise — 9.20.010 sound amplification equipment (subsection A the plainly-audible rules for the rest of the county, subsection B the numeric DTC/CF downtown rules), 9.20.020 motor vehicle noise, 9.20.030 outdoor entertainment and mass gatherings, 9.20.040 commercial noise, 9.20.050 excessive noise on a pedal carriage, 9.20.060 enforcement. Chapter 9.30 Construction Noise — 9.30.010 outdoor construction hours, 9.30.020 exemptions, 9.30.030 variances, 9.30.040 enforcement. Cross-references verified on the live code: Section 11.12.070 ("Excessive noise is governed by the provisions of Chapter 9.20 of this Code.") and Section 16.44.010 ("Construction noise is governed by the provisions of Chapter 9.30 of this Code."); Chapter 16.44 was replaced by Ord. BL2019-1631 § 4, adopted August 20, 2019. Code as published: Supplement 53, online content updated June 23, 2026, codified through Ordinance No. BL2025-1141, approved December 17, 2025.). 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 Nashville

Report noise through hubNashville, Metro's 311 service: dial 311 from inside Davidson County, call 615-862-5000 from inside or outside the county, or file online at hub.nashville.gov, which carries dedicated "Noise Violations" request types (separate intake exists for construction noise). For a disturbance happening right now that needs an officer, use the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department non-emergency line at 615-862-8600; call 911 only for an emergency. Under Section 9.20.060 enforcement of the excessive-noise chapter falls to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the Nashville Department of Transportation and the Department of Codes and Building Safety; under Section 9.30.040 construction-noise enforcement is handled by the metropolitan department of codes administration.

For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

The ordinance is split geographically into two regimes: properties in the DTC (Downtown Code) district and CF-zoned properties contiguous to it get the numeric rules of Section 9.20.010.B, and everywhere else gets the plainly-audible rules of Section 9.20.010.A. Beyond the property-line rule, Section 9.20.010.A.2 bans amplification used for advertising or to attract customers that is unreasonably loud or plainly audible at the boundary of the nearest public right-of-way or park, and Section 9.20.010.A.3 bans personal-use amplification on streets, sidewalks or in board of parks and recreation parks that is plainly audible fifty feet or more from any electromechanical speaker. The standout Music City carve-out is in Section 9.20.010.B.3 — prerecorded music downtown is held to 85 Db(A), but live music is expressly exempt from that limit, so a honky-tonk band can legally exceed a cap that a DJ playing records cannot. Section 9.20.010.B.1 bans exterior-mounted amplification downtown outright; the exemptions sit in Section 9.20.010.B.5 and cover permitted special events and mass gatherings of the State of Tennessee or Metro, government-owned outdoor entertainment facilities and state or Metro parks, and churches or facilities used for religious worship. Section 9.20.010.B.6 directs the director of the mayor's office of nightlife to convene an advisory committee on sustained exposure to loud music, so the downtown rules are under active review. Construction hours vary by season and by downtown subdistrict: the Gulch South, Gulch North and Hope Gardens DTC subdistricts run 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. year-round, while the James Robertson, Sulphur Dell, Core, Core Historic, Upper Broadway, 2nd and Broadway, River, SoBro, Lafayette, Rutledge Hill, Rolling Mill Hill and Rutledge River subdistricts — "and any subdistricts not mentioned here" — are exempt from the construction-hours section entirely. Contractors can apply to the director of the department of codes administration for a variance permit under Section 9.30.030, with notice to adversely affected persons and the district councilmember; Section 9.30.020 exempts public works and utility construction, emergency work, and transporting and unloading of construction materials other than blast materials between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Educational institutions are exempt for typical on-campus activities including athletic events, musical performances and student festivals between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Vehicles get their own rules in Section 9.20.020 (amended 2025 by Ord. BL2025-1047): no muffler in good working order, cut-outs and bypasses, exhaust noise plainly audible at 200 feet or more, exhaust plainly audible within a structure containing a dwelling unit, buses staging near transient lodging in the CA district, and car audio plainly audible at fifty or more feet are each unlawful, with a fine of not less than fifty dollars and each violation a separate offense. Pedal carriages (pedal taverns) are separately capped at plainly audible from fifty feet under Section 9.20.050. Finally, Section 9.10.030 exempts airport uses from the whole of Title 9, so BNA operations are outside the ordinance.

Document it before you report it

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