The Resolution Path
1. Local Ordinance
2. Document Evidence
3. Resolve Dispute
The Resolution Path
Step 1 of 3New Orleans, LA
Noise Ordinance Overview
You’ve located the ordinance. Now, compare your situation against the legal thresholds to build your case.
Official Decibel Limits
volume_up"Limits are measured at or beyond the property boundary of the receiving land use category. L10 is the A-weighted sound pressure level exceeded 10% of the time, and Lmax is the maximum allowed A-weighted sound level. Public right-of-way, parks, and playgrounds have a limit of 80 dBA at 50 feet."
AI Executive Summary
New Orleans, LA noise ordinances, detailed in Chapter 66, Article IV, prohibit noise levels exceeding 60 dBA that are plainly audible within a neighbor's dwelling. Specific quiet hours apply, generally restricting amplified sound in residential areas from 9 PM to 10 AM on weekdays and 10:30 PM to 10 AM on weekends. Violations are misdemeanors, subject to fines and/or imprisonment.
Specific Noise Restrictions
Construction
Construction and demolition are prohibited before 7:00 AM or after 6:00 PM in RS, RD, or RM residential districts, or within 300 feet of such districts. Certain construction activities are exempt from general decibel limits between 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM with a building permit, except in residential zones. Operation of loud equipment like pile drivers is generally prohibited between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM, with highway construction having a 250-foot residential buffer during these hours.
Amplified Sound
Operating sound devices (radios, TVs, musical instruments, loudspeakers) in a dwelling so as to be plainly audible one foot from an exterior wall of a neighboring dwelling or beyond property lines is unlawful between 9 PM (Sun-Thu) / 10:30 PM (Fri-Sat) and 10 AM (subsequent morning). Similar rules apply within multiple-unit structures. Loudspeakers for commercial advertising in public spaces are prohibited. Outdoor live entertainment is limited to 11 AM - 8 PM and requires a 30-foot buffer from residential districts with speakers directed away from residences.
Animals
Owners or keepers are prohibited from allowing frequent or continuing noise from any animal or fowl that disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivity.
Vehicles
Motor vehicles must have functional mufflers and sound dissipating devices, with modifications causing excessive noise being prohibited. Refuse collection vehicles cannot operate between 8:00 PM and 5:00 AM in residential or noise-sensitive zones. Off-road motorized vehicles must comply with decibel limits when operated off public rights-of-way, and vehicle repair cannot exceed noise limits at property lines.
Ready to Document?
Unlock evidence tools for New Orleans, LA