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Denver noise ordinance: quiet hours and who to call

Denver's noise rules are in Chapter 36 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code, "Noise Control." Most of its sections were last amended by Ordinance 44-25, passed February 24, 2025. It sets decibel limits by type of property, lists activities that are banned at certain hours no matter how loud they are, and sends some kinds of noise, like barking dogs and shouting, to other chapters of the code.

Decibel limits

Section 36-6(a) makes it unlawful to send noise across a property line onto other premises above the levels in Table A. For noise arriving at a residential property, the limit is the same whatever kind of property it comes from:

• 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• 50 dB(A) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

For comparison, Table A allows 65 and 60 dB(A) at commercial properties and 80 and 75 dB(A) at industrial ones.

The reading is taken at any point along or inside the property line of the property receiving the noise (§ 36-6(a)(1)). If the background noise there is already at or above the limit, the background level becomes the limit (§ 36-6(a)(2)).

Section 36-6(b) exempts a long list of sources from Table A, including emergency sirens, aircraft, vehicles on public streets, daytime school and church bells, daytime deliveries and daytime snow removal. Construction, yard work, power tools and trash collection are exempt from the decibel table when they follow the hour limits below and the equipment is in good working order.

Banned at certain hours

Section 36-7(a) lists activities that are prohibited "notwithstanding the sound pressure levels permitted" in § 36-6. In other words, the hours apply even if the noise is under the decibel limit:

• Domestic power equipment: not between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Commercial power equipment: not between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Tree work, landscaping and lawn care equipment: not between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Garbage and recycling trucks next to or across the street or alley from a home: not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• Car horns: only as a warning to avoid an accident, at any hour
• Engine compression brakes ("Jake brakes"): not at all within the city

Construction hours

Under § 36-7(a)(7), construction equipment and activity that is plainly audible at a home, including job-site deliveries and pickups, is allowed only:

• 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

The executive director can allow work outside those hours in limited cases (§ 36-7(b)).

Barking dogs and loud voices

Chapter 36 does not handle these itself. Section 36-10(a) says loud, persistent noise or habitual dog barking, howling or yelping is enforced under Chapter 8 (animals). Section 36-10(b) sends unamplified human voices to Chapter 38, Article IV. Amplified voices stay under the decibel limits in § 36-6. We have not reviewed Chapters 8 or 38 for this page.

How to complain

The Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) investigates noise complaints. Its noise complaints page says you can file by calling 3-1-1 (720-913-1311 from outside Denver) or online. The division responds within 72 business hours. If you need help right away, the page says to call the Denver Police non-emergency line at 720-913-2000. Under § 36-4, both the executive director and the police chief can investigate and take sound measurements.

Penalties

Chapter 36 itself does not list a fine. DDPHE's page describes the process: a valid complaint brings a verbal or written warning to reduce the noise to a legal level. If the source doesn't comply, the city issues an administrative citation or a court summons, and a court can fine up to $5,000 per incident.

Colorado law

Colorado Revised Statutes § 25-12-103 sets a home noise level of 55 dBA from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 50 dBA from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., measured 25 feet or more from the property line. Noise over those levels can count as a public nuisance. The Colorado noise rules page links the statute.

Keeping a record

DDPHE can take up to 72 business hours to respond. So the noise may have stopped by the time an inspector arrives. A log of when it usually happens helps them plan a visit. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app logs each incident with the time, length and an estimated decibel level. It exports a PDF report or complaint letter. Phone readings are estimates, and the official reading is the city's.

Sources

• Denver Revised Municipal Code Chapter 36, Noise Control (Municode)
• D.R.M.C. § 36-6, Restrictions and measurements of noise (Table A)
• D.R.M.C. § 36-7, Prohibited noise activities
• D.R.M.C. § 36-10, Other applicable provisions
• City and County of Denver: Noise Complaints

Last checked October 17, 2026. Laws change, so check the official code before you act. This is not legal advice.