Noise ordinances › Reno, NV

Reno noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 5, 2026

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Quiet hours in Reno

The noise rules that govern ordinary neighbor complaints (8.04.010(a), 8.12.020(d), the public nuisance definition in 8.22.030 and the vehicle rule in 6.06.290) contain no time band and apply at any hour, and a search of the Administrative Code finds no citywide quiet-hours or residential construction-hours section. Clock times appear only in the Land Development Code's Residential Adjacency article, which applies to nonresidential development built on or within 300 feet of property in a residential zoning district or a mobile home park (18.04.1402): the 49 dB nighttime limit runs from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and the 65 dB daytime limit is stated without hours (18.04.1407(a)(2)); noise from temporary construction activity is exempt from those limits from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and commercial truck and automobile traffic, including deliveries and commercial parking lot access, is prohibited on alleys shared with residentially zoned properties from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., garbage collection excepted (18.04.1411). Parks are generally open 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from April 1 through September 30 and 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from October 1 through March 31, except where other hours are posted (8.23.065).

Decibel limits

The Administrative Code's general noise provisions contain no decibel figure; ordinary complaints (parties, music, barking, neighbors) are judged by whether the noise is loud, unnecessary or unusual, or annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others (8.04.010(a)), or is willfully and unreasonably likely to disturb persons of reasonable and ordinary sensibilities (8.12.020(d)). The decibel limits on noise sources that exist: (1) Land Development Code 18.04.1407, for nonresidential development on or within 300 feet of residential zoning or a mobile home park (18.04.1402 exempts nonresidential developments no greater than 35 feet in height that are separated from residentially zoned property by a freeway). Noise is measured at the residential property line with a sound level meter and octave band analyzer meeting the standards of the American Standards Association; at night, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., noise may not exceed 49 db Leq or 49 db for a single event occurring on a re-occurring basis at a residentially zoned property line; by day, 65 db Leq or 65 db for a single event on a reoccurring basis. The section prints "db" and does not specify A-weighting. Temporary construction is exempt from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., airport airplane operations are exempt, and where existing ambient noise already exceeded the standards on the Title's effective date, the source may not increase existing levels (18.04.1407(b)). (2) Parks (8.23.085): sound amplification devices or sound equipment may not exceed 50 decibels measured within 50 feet of the device without a sound amplification permit, and even with a permit may not exceed 75 decibels at the boundaries of the permitted area; a violation is a misdemeanor. (3) Wind turbines (18.03.405): outside the zoning districts identified in 18.04.1402, noise may not exceed 60 dBA at the property line of the closest neighboring inhabited dwelling, except during short-term events such as high windstorms. Separately, the Land Development Code's airport overlay (18.02.602) requires new homes, hospitals, schools, offices and similar buildings inside the Reno-Tahoe International Airport 80 dBA Lmax or 1998 65 dBA DNL contours to be built for a maximum interior noise level of 45 dBA DNL; that is a construction standard, not a limit on neighbors. Without a meter, amplified sound within a vehicle parked or operating on a highway is unlawful if audible at a distance of 25 feet from the vehicle (6.06.290).

What the ordinance actually says

§ 8.04.010(a): "It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city."

§ 8.12.020: "It is unlawful for any person to commit a breach of the peace. Such breach shall consist of: ... d. Willfully and unreasonably subjecting a person or neighborhood to any noise which is likely to disturb the peace of persons of reasonable and ordinary sensibilities."

§ 18.04.1402 (Land Development Code): "This article applies to all nonresidential development built on or within 300 feet of any property in a residential zoning district or a mobile home park, exempting nonresidential developments that are no greater than 35 feet in height and are separated from residentially zoned property by a freeway."

§ 18.04.1407(a)(2) (Land Development Code): "Noise levels shall not exceed 49 db leq or 49 db for a single event occurring on a re-occurring basis at a residentially zoned property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m." / "Noise levels shall not exceed 65 db leq or 65 db for a single event on a reoccurring basis at a residentially zoned property line." / "Noise associated with temporary construction activity is exempt from the standards from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m."

§ 6.06.290: "It shall be unlawful for any person, while parked or operating a motorized vehicle upon a highway to create or allow amplified sound within the vehicle which is audible at a distance of 25 feet from the vehicle."

§ 8.23.085: "It shall be unlawful to use sound amplification devices or sound equipment in any parks and outdoor recreation facilities in excess of 50 decibels measured within 50 feet from the location of the sound amplification device or sound equipment, without first obtaining a sound amplification permit. Even with a permit, sound amplification device or sound equipment shall not exceed 75 decibels at the boundaries of the permitted area."

§ 8.22.030 (public nuisance, item 26): "Unreasonably creating, allowing, or engaging in any activity, conduct, or use of property that subjects a person or neighborhood to noise which is likely to disturb the peace of persons of reasonable and ordinary sensibilities;"

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Reno Municipal Code (RMC), Administrative Code, Title 8 "Public Peace, Safety and Morals": § 8.04.010 "Noises to attract attention" (Code 1966, § 11.12.380; Ord. No. 5653, § 1, 2-9-05); § 8.12.020 "Disturbing the peace", subsection d (Ord. No. 5047, 9-28-99; Ord. No. 5387, 11-5-02); § 8.22.030 definition of public nuisance, item (26), and the chronic-nuisance definition, with § 8.22.240 penalties (Ord. No. 6448, 1-10-18); § 8.22.300 social host liability (disruptive gatherings); § 8.23.085 park sound amplifying equipment (Ord. No. 5652, 2-9-05); § 8.06.055(h) audible alarms; Title 6 § 6.06.280 zones of quiet and § 6.06.290 amplified noise from motor vehicles (Ord. No. 6153, 6-9-10; Ord. No. 6267, 11-7-12; Ord. No. 6316, 1-29-14); § 1.04.010 general penalty; § 1.05.025 authority to inspect. Annexation and Land Development Code (Title 18), Chapter 18.04 Article 14 "Residential Adjacency": § 18.04.1402 applicability and § 18.04.1407 Noise (the article's sections carry the history note Ord. No. 6692, § 1(Exh. A), 1-8-25; the editor's note says that ordinance repealed the former 18.04.1407, which dealt with spillover lighting, and renumbered 18.04.1408-18.04.1413 as 18.04.1407-18.04.1412, so the noise section was formerly 18.04.1408); § 18.03.405 small wind turbines. Text read on Municode, the City's code host. Administrative Code banner: "Codified through Ordinance No. 6740, adopted May 6, 2026. (Supp. No. 65, Update 1)"; Land Development Code banner: "Codified through Ordinance No. 6732, adopted January 14, 2025. (Supp. No. 5, Update 1)". None of the uncodified ordinances in Municode's ordinance bank for either code (Nos. 6733-6735, 6746, 6749: rezonings and a solid-waste franchise-fee repeal) touches noise.). 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 Reno

Reno Police: the City's Public Safety Dispatch "Important Numbers" page lists "Non-Emergency Communications" at 775-334-COPS (2677) and names "Noise Disturbances" among its uses, for situations that are not personally or immediately threatening but need police notified or an officer to respond; 9-1-1 is for emergencies. For the non-incorporated areas of Washoe County, the same page directs residents to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number, 775-785-WCSO (9276). The Important Numbers page sends "Code Violations" to Reno Direct at 775-334-INFO (4636); the Reno Direct page, which calls it the City's non-emergency service center, prints the number as 775-334-4636, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed daily for lunch, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.), with online reporting at https://service.reno.gov/ and an online chat. The Code Enforcement page links "Report a Code Violation or Request an Investigation" to the same online service, lists office hours of Monday to Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm, gives 775-334-2229 as the main Code Enforcement message line for inquiring about an open case, and refers animal-related questions to Washoe County Regional Animal Services at 775-353-8900; a search of the Reno Municipal Code on Municode finds no barking-dog provision. An enforcement official's inspection may include "the use of a sound level measurement device to measure noise disturbances" (RMC 1.05.025). Sources: https://www.reno.gov/public-safety/public-safety-dispatch/important-numbers.php and https://www.reno.gov/community/reno-direct/ and https://www.reno.gov/government/departments/code-enforcement/.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Reno. 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) Two layers: the Administrative Code's nuisance-style rules govern ordinary neighbor noise with no decibel number or clock, while the Land Development Code's Residential Adjacency standards put meter limits on nonresidential development next to homes; a neighbor's house party or dog is not covered by the 49/65 dB limits. (2) The general noise ban sits in a section titled "Noises to attract attention" (8.04.010); its subsection (b) separately requires City Council permission to cry wares on public streets or to cast sound from radios, loudspeakers or similar devices onto the public streets for commercial advertising or to attract the public's attention to any public building or structure. (3) Disturbing the peace by noise (8.12.020(d)) requires that the noise be inflicted "Willfully and unreasonably". (4) Noise likely to disturb persons of reasonable and ordinary sensibilities is a public nuisance (8.22.030, item (26)); three or more nuisance activities on a property, or by a person associated with it on or within 100 feet of it, in any 30-day period make a chronic nuisance (8.22.030); a nuisance violation is a misdemeanor punished under 1.04.010 and is also subject to the Chapter 1.05 abatement, appeal and lien procedures (8.22.240). (5) Disruptive gatherings: a gathering of three or more persons on private property that disturbs the quiet enjoyment of others, including by "Noise which is likely to disturb the peace of persons of reasonable and ordinary sensibilities", is unlawful and may be ordered disbanded; a warning letter issues on the second violation within six months at the same residence or other private property, administrative citations may issue beginning with a third violation within six months of the second and for each later violation, and the owner remains liable regardless of any contract with a third party (8.22.300). (6) Penalty: where no specific penalty is provided, a conviction carries a fine of $1.00 to $1,000.00, up to six months in the city jail, or both, and each day's violation is a separate offense (1.04.010). (7) Stale cross-references: 18.04.1403 prohibits public address systems that exceed the limits in "Section 18.04.1408, Noise", and 18.03.405 sends wind turbines in the 18.04.1402 districts to "Section 18.04.1408", but Ord. No. 6692 (January 8, 2025) renumbered the noise section to 18.04.1407; 18.04.1408 is now the odor section. (8) The Land Development Code limits are printed as "db" and "db leq" without a weighting and give no hours for the daytime limit. (9) Every street or highway within 200 feet of a hospital building is a "zone of quiet" where sounding gongs, whistles, horns or sirens, unnecessary noise and itinerant music are unlawful (6.06.280). (10) An alarm whose siren, bell or other signal is audible from adjacent property may not sound longer than ten consecutive minutes after activation or repeat the ten-minute cycle more than three consecutive times without resetting (8.06.055(h)). (11) The vehicle rule (6.06.290) does not apply to emergency vehicles or to sound alerting persons to an emergency or break-in. (12) The RMC applies only inside Reno city limits; unincorporated Washoe County and the City of Sparks have their own rules.

Document it before you report it

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