Milwaukee noise ordinance: quiet hours and who to call

When are quiet hours in Milwaukee?

Quiet hours: Night is 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., when the residential limit drops from noise rating 55 to 45 at the lot line. Lawn mowers and garden tools: not from 9 p.m. through 8 a.m.
Right now: Checking the clock for Milwaukee.
Who to call: Milwaukee Police non-emergency: 414-933-4444, which lists loud music. Neighborhood Services says police handle disruptive neighbors and loud parties. Emergencies: 911.
The law: Milwaukee Code of Ordinances Chapter 80, Subchapter 2 (ss. 80-60 to 80-75). Read the code

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We checked this against the city's code and website on October 21, 2026.

Milwaukee's noise rules are Subchapter 2, "Noise Control," of Chapter 80 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances (ss. 80-60 to 80-75). There are two kinds of rules. One is a set of limits measured with a meter at the lot line. The other is a nuisance rule for loud, unreasonable noise that is hard to measure, such as a stereo or a party. The second is the one most neighbor complaints fall under.

Day and night

The code defines day as 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and night as 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (s. 80-60-4 and 80-60-8). Milwaukee's night starts earlier than in many cities.

Noise limits at the lot line

Section 80-64-1 sets limits for each zoning district, measured at the lot line. For residential districts, the limit is noise rating number 55 during the day and 45 at night. The limit drops by five more if the noise is mostly a pure tone, such as a hum, or is impulsive (s. 80-64-2), and the noise has to be at least 5 dB louder than the background in some octave band to count (s. 80-64-3).

Noise rating numbers are not the same as ordinary decibel readings. The code calls for a sound level meter with an octave band analyzer, held at the nearest lot line of the premises the complaint is about, at least 3 feet off the ground (s. 80-65-1 and 80-65-2). When that detailed analysis can't be done, a reading on the A scale of a standard meter can be used, and the noise rating number is that reading minus 8 dB (s. 80-65-3). By that formula, the nighttime residential limit of 45 works out to an A-scale reading of 53 dB.

Loud music and other noise nuisances

Section 80-63-1 makes it unlawful for anyone in charge of a building or premises to allow "loud, excessive or unusual noise" from a radio, stereo or other device that "tends to unreasonably disturb the comfort, quiet or repose" of people there or nearby. Section 80-63-2 bans making or continuing noise that is a nuisance, which the code defines as "boisterous or unreasonably loud noise" that causes or tends to provoke a disturbance (s. 80-60-11).

Section 80-65-4 covers noise that is hard to measure with a meter. Its examples include:

Playing a radio, TV, instrument or other sound device in a way that disturbs "the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring occupants," or at any time louder than needed for the people in the same room or vehicle to hear it (s. 80-65-4-b-2)
Playing a sound device in a way that tends to disturb neighbors at a distance of more than 50 feet from where it is (s. 80-65-4-b-3)
Noise from human behavior that may also be disorderly conduct (s. 80-65-4-b-4)

No meter reading is needed for these. Police or a city inspector can act on what they hear, or the case can start from a complaint by a member of the public (s. 80-65-4-a-1 and a-2).

Filing a complaint that can lead to a citation

If police or an inspector didn't hear the noise themselves, s. 80-65-4-a-3 says a complaint from the public has to include the date, time and place of the noise, what it was, and who was responsible, or information that would help police identify them. It also has to name at least one person who heard or was affected by the noise, and at least one of them must be an adult available to testify in court. Under s. 80-65-4-a-4, no one can be convicted this way without testimony from at least one affected adult.

Milwaukee Police list loud music as a non-emergency call. The non-emergency number is 414-933-4444. The Department of Neighborhood Services handles building and property complaints at 414-286-2268, but its complaint page says "disruptive neighbors and loud parties are handled by the Police Department." For an emergency, call 911.

Lawn equipment, construction and garbage trucks

Lawn mowers, small lawn and garden tools, riding tractors and similar equipment: not from 9 p.m. through 8 a.m. Snow removal equipment is excepted (s. 80-67-4).
Construction sites, utilities and public works: the daytime limits don't apply Monday through Saturday during the day, but noise has to be kept down through proper equipment use and upkeep (s. 80-67-1). The exemption does not cover nights or Sundays.
Trash compacting and collection: not from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. within 200 feet of a residential premises. City sanitation is exempt from this rule (s. 80-67-9).

Residential air conditioners have their own octave-band limits, measured in a sleeping room of a home on the next property (s. 80-68).

Penalties

Under s. 80-90-1, violations fall into penalty classes set out in Chapter 61:

The lot-line limits and the general noise rules (ss. 80-60 to 80-65-3) are Class E: a fine of $50 to $500, and each day is a separate offense (s. 61-11).
The noise nuisance rules in s. 80-65-4, which cover most loud music complaints, are Class K: a forfeiture of $150 to $1,000, and each day is a separate offense (s. 61-17).
A second or later conviction under ss. 80-60 to 80-65 within 3 years is Class O: $300 to $1,500 (s. 80-90-2 and s. 61-21).

Property owners can also be billed. If someone at a property is charged with breaking the noise limits, the city mails the owner a notice, and someone at the same unit is charged again at least 8 business days later, the cost of enforcing the second and later violations can be charged against the property and become a lien (s. 80-63-3).

Wisconsin law

Wisconsin Statutes § 947.01(1) makes unreasonably loud conduct disorderly conduct, in a public or private place, when it tends to cause or provoke a disturbance. It is a Class B misdemeanor. The Wisconsin noise rules page links the statute.

Keeping a record

A complaint that can lead to a citation in Milwaukee needs dates, times, what the noise was and an adult witness. Write those down. A log is more useful here than in most cities. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app logs each incident with the date, time, length and an estimated decibel level. It exports a PDF report. Phone readings are estimates and can't stand in for the octave-band measurement the code describes.

Milwaukee noise FAQ

What are the quiet hours in Milwaukee?

Night is 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., when the residential limit drops from noise rating 55 to 45 at the lot line. Lawn mowers and garden tools: not from 9 p.m. through 8 a.m.

Who do I call about a noisy neighbor in Milwaukee?

Milwaukee Police non-emergency: 414-933-4444, which lists loud music. Neighborhood Services says police handle disruptive neighbors and loud parties. Emergencies: 911.

Where are Milwaukee's noise rules?

Milwaukee Code of Ordinances Chapter 80, Subchapter 2 (ss. 80-60 to 80-75). There is a link to the official code at the top and bottom of this page.

What is the fine for a noise violation in Milwaukee?

Most loud music cases carry a forfeiture of $150 to $1,000. Other noise rules carry $50 to $500, and repeat convictions within 3 years $300 to $1,500.

Sources

Last checked October 21, 2026. Laws change, so check the official code before you act. This is not legal advice.