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Ottawa noise bylaw: quiet hours, decibel limits and how to complain

Last updated: October 27, 2026

Quiet hours by type of noise

Ottawa's Noise By-law (By-law No. 2017-255) has no single quiet-hours rule. Each kind of noise has its own prohibited period. Most of the overnight rules apply only when the noise disturbs, or tends to disturb, people nearby; the construction hours are a flat ban. On top of these, § 2 bans at any time "any bass noise, unusual noise or noise likely to disturb the inhabitants of the City".

Infill housing means "a development that occurs on a single lot, or a consolidated number of small lots or sites that are vacant or underdeveloped", such as a new home on a lot in an established street. Its earlier evening cut-off replaces the general construction rule (§ 14(1)). On November 11, construction equipment is also banned from 10 a.m. to noon in a defined downtown area around Wellington and Rideau streets (§ 13(3)). Power equipment used to maintain a golf course is exempt (§ 8(3)).

The delivery and loading hours do not apply in the area bounded by Dalhousie Street, Rideau Street, Sussex Drive and Murray Street (§ 11(2), § 12(2)), and the garbage-truck hours do not apply to municipal waste collection or to the Central Area mapped in Schedule B (§ 10(3)). Snow clearing and snow removal are exempt from the whole by-law (§ 20(4)); the City's summary on the by-law page says "snow removal/clearing may take place 24/7 on private or public property by residents or contractors."

Decibel limits

Some sources have measured limits in dB(A), the A-weighted level a sound level meter reads. Music and other sound from a device is limited by day as an "equivalent sound level" (Leq), the constant level that would carry "the same total A-weighted energy" as the varying sound over the same time. The by-law does not say how long that average must run. Equipment such as air conditioners, pumps and generators has a plain limit of 50 dB(A) at the "point of reception", which is "any point on the premises of a person where sound or vibration originating from other than those premises are received".

From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. no number is needed: music that disturbs someone in a home or business is enough (§ 4(1)). The City's 3-1-1 page puts it this way: "Overnight, between 11 pm and 7 am, any noise that disturbs someone may be considered a violation." Where background noise is already above a limit, an officer can take one reading with the source off and one with it on, and a source that adds 5 dB(A) or more is a violation (§ 25). A portable generator used in an emergency in a residential area is exempt from the 50 dB(A) rule (§ 6(2)).

Ottawa's limits are all A-weighted, and A-weighting discounts bass (see dBA vs dBC). Thumping bass is caught instead by § 2, which bans "bass noise", defined as "any low frequency sound which may be audible or otherwise felt as vibration", at any hour.

Shouting, street music and vehicles

Section 3 bans "the ringing of any bell, sounding of any horn, or shouting in a manner likely to disturb the inhabitants of the City", with exceptions for religious bells, fire alarms and a car alarm that sounds for five minutes or less. Playing a speaker or instrument on a street or in another public place is banned at any time (§ 4(5)), unless the City has given a permit or written permission for use in a park, the sound is part of a permitted parade or special event, or a street musician's playing "is not liable to disturb the peace, enjoyment and comfort or convenience of individuals or the public" (§ 4(9)).

Off the street, horns, engine revving and squealing tires are "unnecessary motor vehicle noise" (§ 15), and a vehicle exhaust must pass through a muffler that "effectively prevents loud or explosive noises" (§ 17). Barking dogs are mainly handled under the Animal Care and Control By-law (No. 2003-77). The City's 3-1-1 page says "Pet owners must prevent their pet from constant barking or causing other noise that disturbs people and the neighbourhood."

How to complain

Call 3-1-1 within Ottawa, or 613-580-2400 (toll free 1 866 261-9799, TTY 613-580-2401), or report online through the City's 3-1-1 noise page, which has separate forms for loud noise, shouting, construction, noisy machines, garbage and delivery trucks, car alarms and barking dogs. Non-urgent email goes to 311@ottawa.ca. The City says online reports get the same priority as phone calls, but urgent safety matters should be phoned in to 3-1-1, and a house alarm or a concern for someone's safety should go to 911. For a car alarm you need the car's licence plate number. A By-law officer follows up on each report.

A reading helps your record but is not the evidence. The by-law relies on a precision sound level meter that meets IEC 651 or ANSI S1.4-1983, and an officer may assess the noise "at the point of reception" (§ 4(10)). The free online decibel meter runs in your browser and records nothing. It is an uncalibrated estimate of about ±10 dB, enough to tell 50 from 70 but not to settle whether 55 was crossed. Turn A-weighting on, let it run for several minutes and note the session average; the daytime music limit is an average too, though the meter's is not a certified Leq. After 11 p.m. no reading is needed, so a dated note of when the noise started, stopped and what it disturbed counts for more. The noise complaints guide covers what to log.

Fines

Every breach is an offence and a continuing offence (§ 27(1)). On conviction, § 27(2) sets "a minimum fine of $500.00 and a maximum fine of $10,000.00" for each day or part of a day the offence continues, and the daily fines together are not capped at $100,000. The City's own summary on the by-law page says "Fines range from $400 to $10,000 per offence." The by-law's $500 minimum applies on conviction in court. A court can also order the person to stop and to fix the problem (§ 27(3)).

The by-law does not apply to work by the City, the Province or the federal government done for "the immediate health, safety or welfare of the inhabitants of the City", to musicians and performers at National Capital Commission events such as Winterlude and Canada Day, to farms, to snow clearing, or to OC Transpo route announcements (§ 20). Builders and event organizers can apply for exemptions, which cap noise at 85 dB(A) for construction and 65 dB(A) for special events at the point of reception (§ 21 to § 23).

Sources

City of Ottawa Noise By-law No. 2017-255, enacted July 12, 2017 and in force September 30, 2017, as amended up to By-law 2026-225, read from the by-law page on ottawa.ca on 2026-10-27. The City publishes that text "for research and reference purposes only"; certified copies come from the City of Ottawa Archives. Complaint channels and the City's plain-language hours quoted from the 3-1-1 noise pages and the 3-1-1 contact page, read the same day. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; the by-law controls. Other Ontario cities have their own bylaws, such as the Toronto noise bylaw, and the rules on this page apply only within the City of Ottawa.

What are the Ottawa noise bylaw hours?

Each noise has its own hours. Music or other sound that disturbs a neighbour is banned from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and until 9 a.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays and holidays. Construction equipment is banned from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays), infill housing work from 8 p.m., and power tools such as leaf blowers from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (9 a.m. on weekends and holidays). Loading, deliveries and garbage trucks that disturb are banned from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

What is the decibel limit in the City of Ottawa noise bylaw?

From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., music and other device sound may not exceed an equivalent level (Leq) of 55 dB(A) measured outside at the property line of the person disturbed, or 45 dB(A) measured inside another unit in the same building or inside a home or business near a commercial source. Air conditioners, heat pumps, generators, exhaust fans and pool pumps are limited to 50 dB(A) at the point of reception at any time. After 11 p.m., music that disturbs is enough.

What is the Ottawa bylaw noise complaint number?

Call 3-1-1 from within Ottawa, or 613-580-2400 (toll free 1 866 261-9799; TTY 613-580-2401). You can also report noise online through the 3-1-1 noise page, which has separate forms for loud noise, shouting, construction, machines, trucks, car alarms and barking dogs, or email 311@ottawa.ca for non-urgent matters. A By-law officer follows up. For a house alarm or a concern for someone's safety, the City says to call 911.

What time can construction start in Ottawa?

Construction vehicles and equipment may run from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, though power tools may not run before 9 a.m. on a Saturday (§ 8(2)), and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and statutory or public holidays (§ 13). Infill housing, such as a new home on a single lot, has shorter hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (§ 14). The City can grant exemptions, capped at 85 dB(A) at the point of reception.

What is the fine for breaking the Ottawa noise bylaw?

On conviction, section 27 of the by-law sets a minimum fine of $500 and a maximum of $10,000 for each day or part of a day the offence continues, and the daily fines are not capped at $100,000. The City's summary on the by-law page gives a range of $400 to $10,000 per offence. Where the two differ, the by-law controls. A court can also order the noise stopped.

Noise bylaws in other Canadian cities

• Toronto
• Calgary
• Edmonton
• Vancouver
• Winnipeg
• Hamilton
• Mississauga

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