Denver noise rules at a glance
- Governing code: Denver Revised Municipal Code, Chapter 36 (Noise Control)
- Quiet hours: 10:00 PM – 7:00 AM weekdays; 11:00 PM – 8:00 AM weekends
- How violations are judged: Measured decibel limits
- Construction: Plainly audible construction noise is prohibited 9:00 PM – 7:00 AM weekdays and 5:00 PM – 8:00 AM weekends
- Complaints: 311
How Denver decides what counts as too loud
Denver sets numeric limits by zone and time of day, with separate caps for vehicles and permitted events.
Noise limits in Denver
| Applies to | Daytime | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Residential zone | 55 dB | 50 dB |
| Vehicles in public places | 75 dB | 75 dB |
What's specific to Denver
- Denver was actively revising Chapter 36 during 2026, including the exemption level for permitted events and limits on private-property events — check the current text before relying on any figure here.
- Administrative citations can reach $5,000 per day, among the steepest of the metros covered here.
What Denver residents most often report
- Construction outside permitted hours, judged by audibility rather than level.
- Permitted outdoor events, where the exemption level itself was under revision during 2026.
- Vehicle noise in public places, capped separately at 75 dB.
How to measure it in Denver
Measure at the property line and compare against 55 dB daytime or 50 dB at night, remembering that weekend quiet hours start an hour later and run an hour longer. For construction there is a separate and simpler test: plainly audible construction noise is prohibited 9:00 PM – 7:00 AM on weekdays and 5:00 PM – 8:00 AM at weekends.
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.
Penalties in Denver
Administrative citations up to $5,000 per day, or a summons to appear in court.
How to file a noise complaint in Denver
Denver 311 for ongoing noise; police non-emergency for active disturbances.
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.