Los Angeles noise rules: quiet hours, limits and how to complain
At a glance
- Quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. for nighttime noise levels and powered equipment; construction barred 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Who to call
- LAPD non-emergency: 877-ASK-LAPD (877-275-5273). City services: 311.
- The law
- LAMC §§ 41.40, 111.03, 112.01, 112.04, 116.01. Read the code
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-16.
Los Angeles keeps most of its noise rules in Chapter XI of the Municipal Code (LAMC), with construction hours in § 41.40. The Police Department enforces the sections that cover people-made noise, including loud music and late construction (§ 111.05(b)). The Department of Building and Safety handles some equipment noise, such as air conditioners (§ 111.05(a)).
Daytime and nighttime in the code
The LAMC does not set a blanket quiet period for all noise. It does split the day for measuring noise: § 111.03 uses daytime levels from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and nighttime levels from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. It also sets a “presumed ambient noise level,” which is the baseline used when the real background is quieter:
- Residential zones (A1, A2, RA, RE, RS, RD, RW1, RW2, R1 through R5): 50 dB(A) day, 40 dB(A) night
- Commercial zones (P, PB, CR, C1, C1.5, C2, C4, C5, CM): 60 day, 55 night
- M1, MR1 and MR2: 60 day, 55 night
- M2 and M3: 65 day and night
At a boundary between two zones, the quieter zone’s level applies.
Loud music, TVs and speakers
Section 112.01 is the one most renters will run into. It is unlawful to play a radio, TV, instrument or other sound device “in such a manner, as to disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of neighbor occupants.” The section gives two measurable tests:
- Sound audible more than 150 feet from the property line of the source, in a residential zone or within 500 feet of one, is a violation.
- Sound more than 5 decibels above the ambient level on another occupied property is a violation. In a condo, apartment building, duplex or attached business, that is measured inside the adjoining unit.
In an apartment, the second test means a neighbor’s music only has to beat the background in your unit by 5 dB.
Section 116.01 adds a general ban on “loud, unnecessary, and unusual noise” that disturbs the neighborhood or annoys a reasonable person living in the area. Factors include the noise level, how close it is to places where people sleep, the time of day and whether it repeats.
Equipment and appliances
Under § 112.04(a), between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. nobody may run a lawn mower, leaf blower, edger or any other machine or hand tool that makes a loud, raucous or impulsive sound in a residential zone or within 500 feet of a residence.
Air conditioners, heaters and pool pumps may not raise the noise level on another occupied property, or inside an adjoining unit, more than 5 decibels above ambient (§ 112.02).
Construction hours
Section 41.40(a) bars construction or repair work with power tools or loud equipment between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. when it disturbs people in a home, hotel or apartment. Equipment servicing and material deliveries are barred in the same hours.
On land with residential buildings, or within 500 feet of it, § 41.40(c) adds weekend limits: no work before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on Saturdays and national holidays, and none at all on Sundays. A homeowner working on their own single-family house is exempt from the weekend rule, and so is emergency repair work. The Police Commission can grant variances (§ 41.40(b)).
Barking dogs
Chapter XI does not have a barking-dog rule. Animal noise is handled under separate animal regulations that this page does not cover.
Who to contact
The City of Los Angeles lists 877-ASK-LAPD (877-275-5273) as the LAPD non-emergency number and names noise complaints as one of its uses. For other city services, use MyLA311: call 311 or (213) 473-3231, go to myla311.lacity.org, or use the MyLA311 app. Call 911 only for an emergency.
Penalties
A knowing and willful violation of the construction-hours rule in § 41.40(a) is a misdemeanor under that section. Section 111.04 also lets the city treat a noise violation that disturbs residents as a public nuisance and seek a restraining order or injunction. The noise chapter text reviewed here does not list fine amounts for § 112.01.
Keeping a record
The 5 dB test in § 112.01 depends on the difference between the noise and the background, so it helps to note what your unit sounds like when it is quiet as well as when it is loud. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app keeps a dated log of each incident with average and peak readings, and it can make a PDF report or a complaint letter for your landlord or property manager. Phone readings are uncalibrated estimates, so treat them as a record of when and how often, and leave the official measurement to the city.
Sources
- LAMC § 111.03, Minimum ambient noise level (American Legal)
- LAMC § 111.05, Enforcement, citations
- LAMC § 112.01, Radios, television sets, and similar devices
- LAMC § 112.04, Powered equipment in residential areas
- LAMC Chapter XI, Article 6 (§ 116.01, Loud, unnecessary and unusual noise)
- LAMC § 41.40, Noise due to construction, excavation work
- City of Los Angeles: Request city services / report problems (MyLA311 and 877-ASK-LAPD)
Last checked 2026-10-16. Laws change; check the official code before acting. Not legal advice.