Austin noise rules at a glance
- Governing code: Austin City Code, Chapter 9-2 (Noise and Amplified Sound)
- Quiet hours: 10:30 PM – 7:00 AM for noise or instruments audible to an adjacent business or residence
- How violations are judged: Mixed standard
- Construction: Aggregate handling near residences, churches, hospitals and hotels is barred 7:00 PM – 6:00 AM
- Complaints: Austin 311
How Austin decides what counts as too loud
Austin combines a night-time audibility rule with decibel caps built around its live music scene, and most of the numbers in the code are attached to permitted venues rather than to zoning districts.
Noise limits in Austin
| Applies to | Daytime | Night |
|---|---|---|
| General restriction | Sound equipment at a business may not exceed the decibel limits set by the chapter | Noise or a musical instrument audible to an adjacent business or residence is prohibited 10:30 PM – 7:00 AM |
| Residential property | Sound in excess of 75 decibels is prohibited | Subject to the 10:30 PM audibility rule |
| Permitted outdoor venues | Up to 85 decibels, with venues associated with a restaurant use limited to 70 decibels | Permit terms set the cutoff |
| Vehicle and watercraft sound systems | Audible or causing vibration 30 feet from a vehicle, or 100 feet from a watercraft | Same test |
What's specific to Austin
- The chapter does not apply to a person holding a permit authorising the use of sound equipment, so checking whether a venue is permitted comes before measuring it.
- Refrigeration and cold-hold equipment on vehicles has its own 7:00 PM – 6:00 AM rule, aimed at delivery trucks idling near homes.
- Stadium events, parades and authorised street events are exempt.
What Austin residents most often report
- Live and amplified music from permitted venues, where the permit's own level governs.
- Amplified sound at residential properties after the 10:30 PM cutoff.
- Vehicle sound systems, caught by the flat 30-foot audibility test.
How to measure it in Austin
Find out whether the source holds a sound permit before you build a case on decibels — a permitted venue is measured against its permit, not against the general limits, and the chapter largely steps aside for it. For everything else the useful evidence after 10:30 PM is simply that the sound was audible at your property, with a timestamped log showing how long it went on.
Record levels with the free online decibel meter, and log the date, start time and duration with each reading. A phone microphone is accurate to roughly ±2 dB and is not a calibrated instrument — enough to establish a pattern, not enough for an enforcement hearing.
Turn your readings into something you can file
Austin 311 will ask when the noise happens and how long it lasts. A live decibel reading answers neither. Pro records a timestamped session — a ten-minute check or a full night — charts the whole thing, and exports a PDF with the dates, times, duration and the statistics that describe a pattern rather than a moment.
- Timestamped sessions with the recording timezone
- Leq and L10/L50/L90 background levels
- Print-ready PDF report, one click
- Your last 25 sessions, kept on your device
Measurements stay on your device on the subscription plans. A phone microphone is not a calibrated instrument — a session establishes a pattern, and this page is not legal advice.
Penalties in Austin
Fines run to $500 for general violations, with substantially higher exposure for construction-related offences.
How to file a noise complaint in Austin
311 handles most sources; sound-permit questions and venue complaints route to the city's sound permit programme, which sets and enforces venue-specific levels.
Sources
Municipal codes are amended regularly and enforcement practice varies by neighbourhood and agency. This page summarises the code as of 2026-08-10 and is not legal advice — confirm against the linked code before relying on any figure, and consult a lawyer for a dispute.
Noise ordinances in other metros
See all US metro noise ordinances or read how many decibels is too loud.