Noise ordinances › Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 21, 2026

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Quiet hours in Salt Lake City

Most clock rules in 9.28.040.B run from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the following day, or from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. when the following day is a Sunday or legal holiday: radios, television sets, musical instruments and similar devices may not be plainly audible at the property boundary of the source, or plainly audible at 50 feet from a device operated within a vehicle parked on a public right of way (B.2.b); loading, unloading, opening or handling boxes, crates, containers, garbage containers or other objects may not violate 9.28.060 or cause a noise disturbance (B.6); equipment used in construction, repair, alteration or demolition work on buildings, structures, streets or alleys may not be operated in residential or commercial land use districts (B.7.a); domestic power equipment rated 5 horsepower or less (power saw, sander, lawnmower, garden or snow removal equipment) may not be operated outdoors in residential or commercial zones (B.8.a); commercial power equipment rated more than 5 horsepower, such as chain saws, pavement breakers and log chippers, other than construction equipment used for construction, may not be operated in residential or commercial land use districts (B.9.a); and model aircraft with internal combustion engines, model rockets and similar noise producing devices may not be flown or fired (B.13). Garbage, waste or refuse may not be collected between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in any area zoned residential or within 300 feet of one, or in any land use district so as to cause a noise disturbance, and the rule's Sunday and holiday clause also ends at 7:00 a.m. (B.17). The decibel table (9.28.060.A) uses 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. as night on weekdays and Saturdays and 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Sundays and holidays for residential and commercial-agricultural districts; industrial districts use 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. every day. The Salt Lake County Health Department's noise page says the health department works with local law enforcement agencies to enforce the county's noise regulation, and that the regulation "prohibits loud noise at night between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.", an hour later than the City chapter's 9:00 p.m.

Decibel limits

Yes, numeric limits. 9.28.060.A makes it a violation to operate any stationary source of sound so that the L90 (the level exceeded 90 percent of the time) over a measurement period of at least 10 minutes exceeds these limits for the receiving land use district, measured at the boundary or at any point within the property affected: Residential 50 dBA at night and 55 dBA by day; Commercial-agricultural 55 dBA and 60 dBA; Industrial 75 dBA (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and 80 dBA (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.). Night is 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays (industrial: 7 a.m. every day). When a source can be measured in more than one land use category, the limits of the most restrictive use apply at the boundaries between them. Duration (9.28.060.B): the L10 (the level exceeded 10 percent of the time) may not be 15 dBA greater than the table levels, and may not be more than 15 dBA above the ambient L90, each over a period of at least ten minutes. Character (9.28.060.C): for a pure tone, cyclically varying or repetitive impulsive sound the limits drop by 5 dBA, and such a source may not create a noise disturbance even if it complies. Equipment caps in 9.28.040.B: domestic power equipment of 5 horsepower or less in residential or commercial zones, 74 dBA at 50 feet (B.8.b); commercial power equipment over 5 horsepower, 82 dBA at 50 feet in any land use district (B.9.b); refuse compacting vehicles, 74 dBA at 50 feet (B.16); recreational vehicles and snowmobiles manufactured after 1977 may not be sold or operated in the city unless they produce no more than 82 dBA at 50 feet (B.22.b); construction equipment in any land use district may not exceed "the second level limits for an industrial land use" in 9.28.060 (B.7.b); a place of public entertainment whose loudspeakers or other sound reach 100 dBA (slow response) at a point normally occupied by a customer must post a warning sign (B.10); near a school, hospital, institution of learning, court or other designated area where exceptional quiet is necessary, while it is in use and where quiet-zone signs are posted, noise may not exceed the residential standard (B.19); and amplified signals from burglar alarms, bells, chimes or clocks that fail the 9.28.060 standards may not sound for more than five minutes in any hour (B.20). Measurement (9.28.030, 9.28.020): a sound level meter using the A-weighting scale, "in accordance with standards promulgated by the American National Standards Institute or other reasonable standards adopted and tested by the Salt Lake Valley health department"; the meter must be type 2 or better as specified in the ANSI publication the code cites as "SL. 4-1971" or its successor. Rules with no meter: any noise disturbance, defined as "Any sound which annoys or disturbs reasonable persons with normal sensitivities, or which injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace and safety of other persons" (9.28.020, 9.28.040.A); devices plainly audible at the property boundary at night (9.28.040.B.2.b), where plainly audible means the information content is unambiguously transferred to the listener, such as understanding of spoken speech or comprehension of musical rhythms (9.28.020); and fireworks, explosives or guns audible across a property boundary or on a public space or right of way without a permit (9.28.040.B.11).

What the ordinance actually says

9.28.040.A: "In addition to the specific prohibitions outlined in subsection B of this section and section 9.28.060 of this chapter, or their successor sections, it is unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any noise disturbance within the limits of the city."

9.28.040.B.2.b: "The operating of any such device between the hours of nine o'clock (9:00) P.M. and seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. the following day or, between the hours of nine o'clock (9:00) P.M. and nine o'clock (9:00) A.M. when the following day is a Sunday or legal holiday, in such a manner as to be plainly audible at the property boundary of the source or plainly audible at fifty feet (50') (15 m) from such device when operated within a vehicle parked on a public right of way;"

9.28.040.B.7: "Construction Work: Operating, or causing to be used or operated, any equipment used in construction, repair, alteration or demolition work on buildings, structures, streets, alleys, or appurtenances thereto: ... In residential or commercial land use districts between the hours of nine o'clock (9:00) P.M. and seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. the following day, or between the hours of nine o'clock (9:00) P.M. and nine o'clock (9:00) A.M. when the following day is a Sunday or legal holiday,"

9.28.060.A: "It is a violation of this chapter for any person to operate or permit to be operated any stationary source of sound in such a manner as to create a ninetieth percentile sound pressure level (L90) of any measurement period (which shall not be less than 10 minutes unless otherwise provided in this chapter) which exceeds the limits set forth for the following receiving land use districts, when measured at the boundary or at any point within the property affected by the noise:"

9.28.080: "The Valley health department shall have primary, but not exclusive, enforcement responsibility for this chapter as it relates to stationary sources, and joint enforcement responsibility with appropriate law enforcement agencies as it relates to vehicular sources."

9.28.110.B.2: "It is unlawful for a person, after having been ordered by a law enforcement office to cease or reduce the volume of such noise, to make an unreasonably loud noise within thirty feet (30') of the entrance to a healthcare facility. It is unlawful for a person to use any sound amplification device within fifty feet (50') of the entrance to a hospital, healthcare, or mental health facility or office."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Salt Lake City Code, Title 9 "Health and Safety", Chapter 9.28 "Noise Control": 9.28.010 Declaration Of Policy (prior code § 18-33-1), 9.28.020 Definitions And Standards (prior code § 18-33-2), 9.28.030 Sound Level; Measurement Method (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-5), 9.28.040 Noises Prohibited (Ord. 66-87 § 1, 1987: prior code § 18-33-3), 9.28.050 Exempt Uses And Activities (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-6), 9.28.060 Use Districts And Permitted Noise Levels (prior code § 18-33-4), 9.28.070 Permit For Relief From Restrictions; Conditions (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-7), 9.28.080 Enforcement Responsibility (Ord. 1-06 § 30, 2006: prior code § 18-33-8), 9.28.090 Violation; Penalty (Amended during 11/88 supplement: prior code § 18-33-9), 9.28.100 Violation; Additional Remedies (prior code § 18-33-10), 9.28.110 Buffer Zones Around Healthcare Facilities (Ord. 28-22, 2022). Text read on American Legal Publishing, the City's code host, edition "2026 S-21 (current)", on 2026-10-21.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-21. 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 Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City Police: the department's Contact Us page lists NON-EMERGENCY (801) 799-3000, "For situations requiring an officer but not an emergency. Keeps 911 lines open.", tells people experiencing an emergency to call 911, and links online police reports at https://police.slc.gov/online-report/. The Salt Lake County Health Department's "Report a Noise Problem" page offers a form for "routine excessive noise, such as from construction activities or large equipment" and says not to use it for a party, a moving source such as a vehicle or motorcycle, fireworks outside of designated holidays or another unusual circumstance, which go to local police through a non-emergency number (911 only for a life-threatening emergency); it sends barking dogs to the local animal services agency. The County's Sanitation and Safety section (Environmental Health Division) is at 385-468-3835, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Under the City chapter, the Valley health department has primary, but not exclusive, enforcement responsibility for stationary sources and joint responsibility with law enforcement agencies for vehicular sources (9.28.080), and permits for relief on the basis of undue hardship are sought from the Salt Lake Valley health department (9.28.070). Sources: https://slcpd.com/contact-us/, https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/health/noise/report/, https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/health/noise/.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Salt Lake City. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

Notable quirks: (1) The meter test is an L90, the level exceeded 90 percent of a measurement period of at least 10 minutes, and a separate limit applies to the L10, the level exceeded 10 percent of the time: it may not be 15 dBA greater than the table levels, or more than 15 dBA above the ambient L90 (9.28.060.A-B). (2) Night runs until 9 a.m. when the next day is a Sunday or legal holiday, but the garbage-collection rule's Sunday and holiday clause also ends at 7:00 a.m., so it adds nothing (9.28.040.B.17). (3) Enforcement sits mainly with the health department, which the chapter calls the "Salt Lake Valley health department" or "Valley health department" (9.28.030, 9.28.050, 9.28.070, 9.28.080); the County's own pages call it the Salt Lake County Health Department and send parties, vehicles and fireworks to police. (4) Two clocks: the City chapter's night starts at 9 p.m., while the County Health Department describes the county noise regulation's night as 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (5) Exempt from noise level regulations (9.28.050): safety signals, warning devices and emergency pressure relief valves; authorized emergency vehicles responding to an emergency call or acting in time of emergency; emergency work, as determined by the director of the Salt Lake Valley board of health or a designee; lawful fireworks and noisemakers used for celebration of an official holiday; and activities of temporary duration permitted by law for which a license or permit has been approved by the director of the Salt Lake Valley health department under 9.28.070. (6) Fireworks, explosives and gunfire audible across a property boundary or on a public space or right of way need a permit (9.28.040.B.11), apart from the holiday fireworks exemption (9.28.050.D). (7) Engine ("Jacob's") brakes are banned except to avert imminent danger (9.28.040.B.14), and a stationary motor vehicle in a residential zone may not violate 9.28.060 or cause a noise disturbance for a consecutive period longer than 15 minutes (B.18). (8) Venues whose sound reaches 100 dBA at a point normally occupied by a customer must post a sign of at least 225 square inches near each public entrance reading "WARNING: SOUND LEVELS MAY CAUSE HEARING IMPAIRMENT" (9.28.040.B.10). (9) Construction in any district may not exceed "the second level limits for an industrial land use" in 9.28.060, a phrase the table does not define (its industrial figures are 75 and 80 dBA) (9.28.040.B.7.b). (10) Other specific prohibitions: horns and signaling devices except as a danger warning (B.1); street loudspeakers and sound amplifying equipment, including sound vehicles, that violate 9.28.060 or cause a noise disturbance unless a 9.28.070 permit is obtained first (B.3); selling by outcry in residential areas, except at licensed sporting events, parades, fairs, circuses and similar events (B.4); motor vehicle racing events without a permit (B.12); vehicles that are noisy through disrepair or manner of operation (B.15); and work whistles, horns or sirens (B.21). (11) Relief permits for undue hardship come from the health department, on a showing that more time is needed to comply, or that the activity is temporary and cannot comply, and that no reasonable alternative is available; the permit states its conditions, such as dates, times of day, location, sound level or equipment (9.28.070). (12) Penalties: a class B misdemeanor, each day a separate offense (9.28.090); violations of 9.28.030 through 9.28.070 are a nuisance subject to summary abatement by restraining order or injunction (9.28.100). (13) Animals whose frequent or habitual noisemaking violates 9.28.060 or causes a noise disturbance are covered, including animal pounds (9.28.040.B.5). (14) Healthcare buffer zones (9.28.110, 2022): within 30 feet of the entrance to a healthcare facility it is unlawful to make an unreasonably loud noise after being ordered by law enforcement to stop or turn it down, and it is unlawful to use any sound amplification device within 50 feet of the entrance to a hospital, healthcare or mental health facility or office; the section also bars knowingly congregating, patrolling, picketing or demonstrating within 15 feet of an entrance. A violation carries a civil penalty of up to $500; police may give a warning instead of a citation, but must cite a person they have probable cause to believe violated it again within seven days of a warning. Police, fire and rescue, emergency services personnel and the facility's employees or agents acting in their official capacity are exempt.

Document it before you report it

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