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Noise ordinances › Tampa, FL
Tampa noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints
Tampa, FL regulates noise under City of Tampa Code of Ordinances. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: plainly audible 100 ft away is prima facie a violation (Sec. 14-154(e)). There is no general citywide decibel limit: the numeric limits that exist apply only to specific sources. Below: the exact code language, who actually takes complaints, and a link to the official text.
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| Quiet hours | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: plainly audible 100 ft away is prima facie a violation (Sec. 14-154(e)) |
|---|---|
| Limit type | Both: decibel limits plus audibility rules |
| Headline limit | No general dB limit outside two districts: elsewhere the test is "unreasonably loud and raucous," with plainly audible at 100 feet between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. as prima facie proof (Sec. 14-154); Ybor City and the Arena District are metered at 85 dBA / 87 dBC evenings and 65 dBA / 75 dBC by day (Sec. 14-153) |
| Official code | City of Tampa Code of Ordinances |
Quiet hours in Tampa
No named quiet-hours clause. Sec. 14-154(e): between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., sound that is plainly audible at least 100 feet from the property line of its source, at or within any receiving property, is prima facie evidence that it is unreasonably loud and raucous. In Ybor City and the Arena District (Sec. 14-153) the metered limit tightens at 3:00 a.m., from 85 dBA / 87 dBC to 65 dBA / 75 dBC until 6:00 p.m. Construction noise is governed separately by Sec. 5-301.2 and industrial noise by Sec. 27-282.7 (Secs. 14-160, 14-161). Equipment needed to avoid injury or property damage is exempt from the 10 p.m.–7 a.m. levels (Sec. 14-158(10)).
Decibel limits
Only in two districts. Sec. 14-153: within the Ybor City Historic District and the Arena District, unreasonably excessive noise means sound at or above 85 dBA or 87 dBC between 6:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., or 65 dBA or 75 dBC between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., measured as a 30-second Leq at the property line (or lease boundary) of the property generating the sound. Everywhere else, Sec. 14-154 uses no number: an officer weighs whether the sound is plainly audible or causes vibration inside a complainant's home, its duration, and whether it recurs, and may cite after a warning; a sworn complaint can support a citation, and 10 p.m.–7 a.m. audibility at 100 feet is prima facie proof. Vehicles: plainly audible at 50 feet or more (Sec. 14-155). Definitions include a C-weighted (bass) standard and treat a rhythmic bass reverberation as plainly audible.
What the ordinance actually says
Sec. 14-153(b): unreasonably excessive noise in Ybor City and the Arena District means sound that meets or exceeds "Eighty-five (85) dBA or eighty-seven (87) dBC between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m." or "Sixty-five (65) dBA or seventy-five (75) dBC between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m."
Sec. 14-154(e): "Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. it shall be prima facie evidence that the sound (whether recurrent, intermittent, or continuous) is unreasonably loud and raucous if the sound is plainly audible a minimum of one hundred (100) feet from the property line of the source of the sound at or within any receiving property."
Sec. 14-159(a)(1) warning text: "You are being notified that you are in violation of the City of Tampa's Noise Ordinance. You are being given a five (5) minute warning to bring the sound level into compliance."
Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (City of Tampa Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14 (Offenses), Article III "Noise" (the City of Tampa Noise Ordinance), Sections 14-151 through 14-163 (Ord. No. 2016-125, §§ 1–16, 8-25-2016; amended by Ord. Nos. 2017-13, 2018-104, 2022-18, 2022-50 and 2022-71)). Verified against the live code on 2026-09-03. 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 Tampa
Loud music and other non-animal noise: Tampa Police Department non-emergency line, (813) 231-6130, so an officer can be dispatched; the ordinance requires a five-minute warning before a citation. Animal noise goes to Neighborhood Enhancement through a Tampa Connect code enforcement request, with a sworn complaint or a 20-minute recording (tampa.gov, "Noise Complaint").
Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Tampa. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.
Worth knowing
Two ordinances in one: metered districts (Ybor City, the Arena District) and a reasonableness standard everywhere else. Citations under Secs. 14-153 and 14-154 require a five-minute warning to bring the sound into compliance, and a repeat within 48 hours can be cited without another warning (Sec. 14-159). Unamplified voices, reasonable property maintenance (mowers, blowers, power tools), schools, stadiums, theme parks, common-carrier stations and permitted events are exempt (Sec. 14-158). Loudspeakers on or above a public right-of-way need a Sec. 22-8 permit (Sec. 14-156). Excessive noise is declared a public nuisance abatable by the city or by private suit (Sec. 14-157). A former outdoor amplified sound section, 14-164, was repealed in 2022.
Document it before you report it
Tampa'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 Tampa noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.