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Winnipeg noise bylaw: quiet hours, decibel limits and how to complain
Winnipeg's Neighbourhood Liveability By-law bans construction equipment and outdoor power tools within 150 m of a home before 7 a.m. (9 a.m. on weekends and holidays) and after 9 p.m. Air conditioners are limited to 55 dBA by day and 50 at night. Report parties to police at 204-986-6222 and other noise to 311.
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Quiet hours by type of noise
Winnipeg has no general quiet hours. Part 5 (Noise Control) of the Neighbourhood Liveability By-law bans a short list of activities, most at set times and most of them only within 150 m of a residential property (§ 68 and § 69). For these rules a "weekday" is every day except Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays, and a statutory holiday is "a holiday identified in The Interpretation Act" (§ 65).
| Noise | Section | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy equipment, machinery or tools used in construction, drilling or demolition, within 150 m of a residential property | § 69(1)(b) | Before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on weekdays; before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays |
| Powered saws, drills, sanders, grinders, lawn and garden tools, snowblowers and similar devices used outdoors within 150 m of a residential property | § 69(1)(a) | Before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on weekdays; before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays |
| Repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing a motor vehicle, motorcycle, motor boat, outboard motor or recreational vehicle outdoors within 150 m of a residential property | § 69(1)(c) | Before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on weekdays; before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays |
| Running the engine of a stationary vehicle for more than 10 minutes within 150 m of a residential property | § 69(2)(a) | Before 7 a.m. and after 10 p.m., every day |
| Powered model vehicles | § 69(2)(b) | Before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m., every day |
| Engine retarder brakes on any vehicle in the city | § 68(a) | At any time, except in an emergency |
| Selling anything by shouting or amplified sound in a residential or commercial district | § 68(b) | At any time |
Snowblowers are on the list, so clearing snow with one near homes is subject to the same hours. Part 5 does not apply to emergency sirens, work on City streets and property, City public services, military bands and parades with a permit, aircraft and trains, Christmas carols in December, or normal activities at places of worship and schools, "including worship services, children’s play and school-sponsored activities on school yards, and the ringing of church or school bells" (§ 66). An activity covered by a noise permit is also exempt.
The noise nuisance rule
Everything else, including parties, music, shouting and barking, falls under the general rule in § 67(1), which applies at every hour. Except as the by-law allows, no one may make or continue, cause, or own or harbour an animal that makes "an unreasonably loud, unnecessary or excessive noise or sound", or "a noise or sound which unreasonably disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of a reasonable individual of ordinary sensitivity", or noise so harsh, prolonged, unnatural or unusual for the time and place that it causes unreasonable discomfort or harms homes or businesses.
Section 67(2) lists what may be weighed in deciding a case: the time of day and day of the week, the nature and use of the areas where the noise starts and where it is heard, the event or activity making it, the volume, duration and nature of the sound, "including whether it is recurrent, intermittent or constant", and "the ‘A’ weighted sound level of the noise or sound and the ambient sound level, if measured, but not ‘B’, ‘C’ or ‘linear’ weighted sound levels." The rule has no decibel threshold, and Part 5 has no exception for noise between units in the same building.
Decibel limits
The by-law sets one measured limit, for air conditioners, air moving devices and fans. The owner and occupant of a property must make sure that this equipment on the property does not, all together, exceed these levels at the point of reception (§ 70).
| Source | Section | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning equipment, air moving devices and fans, combined | § 70(1) | 55 dBA | 50 dBA |
| The same, where the ambient sound level is already above the limit | § 70(2) | 5 dBA above ambient | 5 dBA above ambient |
Readings are A-weighted, on a precision sound level meter (Type I or Type II) set to "slow" response. The point of reception is "any point on any property where sound, originating from other property, is heard by a person who is engaged in normal activities", and the ambient sound level is the A-weighted level there without the noise being investigated (§ 65). The by-law sets no averaging period. Music, voices and other noise have no decibel limit in Winnipeg; outside the timed rules they are judged under the noise nuisance rule.
How to complain
Who takes the complaint depends on the noise. The Winnipeg Police Service says: "Noise from a loud party or people-related noise falls under the jurisdiction of the Winnipeg Police Service. These reports can only be made by calling the police non-emergency phone line at 204-986-6222." Officers may be sent, depending on the volume and nature of the other calls waiting, and the police warn that "Response to noise complaints may be delayed." If you believe someone's life is in danger, for example from the sounds of a fight, tell the call taker; in an emergency call 911.
Animal noise goes to the City's Animal Service Agency, and noise from furnaces, air conditioners and other mechanical equipment, or from construction tools, goes to Community By-law Enforcement Services, both through 311. 311 answers 24 hours a day, every day; its toll-free number is 1-877-311-4974. Before you call, the police encourage residents "to exercise a reasonable degree of tolerance and to review the By-law".
A reading helps your record but is not the evidence; the by-law's air conditioner limit is read on a precision sound level meter. 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 dBA was crossed. Keep it on A-weighting, since § 67(2) counts A-weighted levels and rules out C-weighted ones, and note the time of day, how long the noise lasted and whether it recurs, the factors the by-law names. A dated record of repeated noise is what moves a complaint; the noise complaints guide covers what to log.
Fines and permits
Part 5 offences can be dealt with by penalty notice under the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act (MBEA) Enabling By-law No. 59/2016 (§ 109.1). Its Schedule A sets the administrative penalties: $200 for an individual and $400 for a corporation for a noise nuisance under § 67(1); $150 for an individual and $300 for a corporation for the hour-limited activities in § 69(1) and § 69(2), for engine brakes or selling by shouting under § 68, and for air conditioners or fans over the limit under § 70(1). Paying within 14 days of service halves each amount ($100, $200, $75 or $150), and you have 30 days to pay or ask a screening officer to review the notice.
The original 2008 by-law set minimum court fines of $50 to $300 for noise; the current consolidation no longer contains them and does not list noise among the preset fines in its Schedule B. Hosts of planned events can apply to the police for a noise permit at no cost, at least four weeks before the event; the police say permits are not issued for construction work.
Sources
Neighbourhood Liveability By-law No. 1/2008, Part 5 (Noise Control), office consolidation updated September 25, 2025 (latest amending by-law 82/2025), read from the City of Winnipeg's official PDF on 2026-10-27, and the MBEA Enabling By-law No. 59/2016, consolidation updated June 25, 2026, read the same day. The City notes that both consolidations are prepared for convenience. Complaint routes, the noise permit and the police guidance quoted from the Winnipeg Police Service Noise complaints page, and 311 details from the City's About 311 page, both read on 2026-10-27. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; the by-law controls.
What time does noise have to stop in Winnipeg?
There is no general quiet time. Construction equipment, outdoor power tools, lawn equipment and snowblowers within 150 m of a residential property must stop by 9 p.m. and may not start before 7 a.m. on weekdays or 9 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. A stationary vehicle may not idle more than 10 minutes near homes before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. Parties and music have no curfew but fall under the noise nuisance rule at all hours.
What are the construction hours in Winnipeg?
Heavy equipment, machinery or tools used in construction, drilling or demolition may run within 150 m of a residential property from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. The same hours apply to outdoor power saws, drills, sanders and grinders. Work on City streets and property is exempt, and the police say noise permits are not issued for construction. Report breaches to 311.
Is there a decibel limit in the Winnipeg noise bylaw?
Only for air conditioners, air moving devices and fans: together they may not exceed 55 dBA from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 50 dBA from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the point of reception, or 5 dBA above the ambient level where that is already higher. Music, voices and other noise have no number; they are judged under the noise nuisance rule, which may take A-weighted readings into account but not C-weighted ones.
Who do I call about a noisy neighbour or apartment in Winnipeg?
For a loud party or other people-related noise, call the Winnipeg Police Service non-emergency line at 204-986-6222; the police say these reports can only be made by phone, and response may be delayed. For a barking dog, call 311 for the Animal Service Agency. For noise from furnaces, air conditioners or construction tools, call 311 for Community By-law Enforcement Services. If someone's life may be in danger, tell the call taker; in an emergency, call 911.
What is the fine for a noise violation in Winnipeg?
A penalty notice under the MBEA Enabling By-law carries $200 for a noise nuisance by an individual ($400 for a corporation) and $150 ($300 for a corporation) for after-hours construction or power tools, idling, model vehicles, engine brakes, selling by shouting, and air conditioners over the limit. Paying within 14 days halves each amount, and you have 30 days to pay or ask a screening officer for a review.
