Nashville noise ordinance: rules and who to call

Does Nashville have quiet hours?

Quiet hours: No general quiet hours. Amplified sound can't be plainly audible at the nearest occupied home at any hour. Construction: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Right now: Checking the clock for Nashville.
Who to call: MNPD non-emergency: 615-862-8600. Metro services: hubNashville or 311.
The law: Metro Nashville Code Title 9. Read the code

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We checked this against the city's code and website on October 17, 2026.

Nashville's noise rules are in Title 9 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, "Noise and Amplified Sound." Metro rewrote the title in 2020 (Ordinance BL2020-196). Outside the downtown entertainment districts, the main rule for neighbors is about whether amplified sound is plainly audible at the nearest home. There is no decibel meter involved and no time-of-day exception.

Amplified sound near homes

Section 9.20.010(A)(1) makes it unlawful to run sound amplification equipment "so as to create sounds that are plainly audible from the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property."

In apartments, condos and other buildings, property lines are hard to find. There, the sound may not be plainly audible from any point inside another unit in the same complex. It also may not be plainly audible from the boundary line of the nearest occupied home.

Title 9 defines both terms broadly (§ 9.10.010):

"Sound amplification equipment" includes a radio, TV, digital audio player, speaker, musical instrument, amplifier or any other device that makes, plays back or amplifies sound.
"Plainly audible" means sound that can clearly be heard by unimpaired hearing. The words don't have to be understood, and bass vibration counts.

The rule applies at all hours. It does not apply to permitted special events or to Metro-owned outdoor venues and parks. It also does not apply to schools during normal campus activities from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. It also does not apply in the DTC downtown district and the CF properties next to it, which have their own decibel limits for bars and venues (§ 9.20.010(B)).

Other amplified sound rules

Speakers used for advertising may not be unreasonably loud or plainly audible at the nearest public right-of-way or park (§ 9.20.010(A)(2)).
Personal speakers on streets, sidewalks or in parks may not be plainly audible 50 feet away (§ 9.20.010(A)(3)).
Car stereos may not be plainly audible 50 feet from the vehicle or, on private property, beyond the property line (§ 9.20.020(B)).
Outside downtown, a business within 50 feet of a home may have amplified outdoor music only from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. A special event permit allows other hours (§ 9.20.030(A)).

Commercial noise at night

From 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., businesses have a limit near homes (§ 9.20.040(A)). Their equipment, vehicles, machines or other activity can't make more than 70 dB(A) at a home in a residential zone. The reading is taken as close as possible to the outside wall of the home, four feet off the ground (§ 9.10.020(B)). The limit is 85 dB(A) for businesses in the DTC and CF districts.

Construction hours

Outdoor construction, repair or demolition is barred from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (§ 9.30.010(A)). In June, July and August, the window shifts to 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. In the Gulch South, Gulch North and Hope Gardens downtown subdistricts, it is 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. all year. Parcels zoned IWD, IR and IG are excluded, and the rule does not apply in most other downtown subdistricts.

Exempt work includes public roads and utilities, emergency work, and delivery of construction materials from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. (§ 9.30.020). Other work outside the hours needs a variance from Codes (§ 9.30.030).

What Title 9 does not cover

Title 9 has no rule on barking dogs or on voices that aren't amplified. Those may be covered elsewhere in the Metro Code, which this page does not cover.

Who to contact

Under § 9.20.060, the Metro Nashville Police Department, the Nashville Department of Transportation and the Department of Codes and Building Safety enforce Chapter 9.20. Codes enforces construction hours (§ 9.30.040).

Nashville.gov lists 615-862-8600 for non-emergency police assistance. For other Metro departments, it says to use hubNashville online or dial 311 or 615-862-5000. Call 911 for emergencies.

Penalties

Title 9 sets one fine: at least $50 per violation for the motor vehicle noise rules in § 9.20.020(A). It does not state a penalty for the amplified sound, commercial noise or construction rules. Those would come from a general penalty provision elsewhere in the Metro Code, which we have not reviewed, so they are not specified here.

Keeping a record

Nashville's residential rule is about what you can hear at your property line or inside your unit. So a log of dates and times is the best evidence. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app logs each incident with the time, length and an estimated decibel level. It builds a PDF report or complaint letter for a landlord, HOA or Metro.

Nashville noise FAQ

What are the quiet hours in Nashville?

No general quiet hours. Amplified sound can't be plainly audible at the nearest occupied home at any hour. Construction: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Who do I call about a noisy neighbor in Nashville?

MNPD non-emergency: 615-862-8600. Metro services: hubNashville or 311.

Where are Nashville's noise rules?

Metro Nashville Code Title 9. 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 Nashville?

The noise title sets only one fine: at least $50 for car noise. Other noise fines aren't stated there.

Sources

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