Baltimore noise rules at a glance
- Governing code: Baltimore City Code, Health Article, Title 9 (Noise Regulation)
- Quiet hours: 9:00 PM – 7:00 AM
- How violations are judged: Measured decibel limits
- Complaints: 311
How Baltimore decides what counts as too loud
Baltimore sets numeric limits measured at the property line between properties, with a 5 dBA reduction at night for residential zones.
Noise limits in Baltimore
| Applies to | Daytime | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Residential, at the property line | 55 dB, 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM | 50 dBA, 9:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
What's specific to Baltimore
- Baltimore's quiet period starts at 9:00 PM, earlier than most large cities — worth knowing before assuming a 10:00 or 11:00 PM threshold.
- Noise waivers are available for specific events and are published by the city.
What Baltimore residents most often report
- Amplified sound and music from residences and venues after 9:00 PM.
- Construction operating under or outside a noise waiver.
- Commercial equipment at property lines shared with rowhouse blocks.
How to measure it in Baltimore
Measure at the property line between the two properties, which is what the Health Article specifies. Baltimore's night period starts at 9:00 PM — earlier than most large cities — and the permissible level for uses in or bordering residential zones drops by 5 dBA at that point, so the same noise can flip from compliant to a violation at 9:00 PM exactly.
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
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 Baltimore
Enforced by the Health Department; environmental citations with escalating fines.
How to file a noise complaint in Baltimore
311 within the city, or 410-396-4688 from outside. Complaints route to the Health Department for enforcement.
Sources
Municipal codes are amended regularly and enforcement practice varies by neighbourhood and agency. This page summarises the code as of 2026-08-02 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.