City of Portland Noise Ordinance: Limits, Complaints, and Penalties

Portland’s noise ordinance is City Code Title 18, overhauled by Ordinance 191944 and in effect since January 1, 2025. It caps sound by zone and time of day, bans specific nuisances outright, phases out gas-powered leaf blowers, and lets the city’s Noise Control Officer issue variances and civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.¹

Decibel Limits by Zone and Time of Day

Portland doesn’t use a single citywide limit. The code looks at both the zone the sound comes from and the zone receiving it, measured at the receiving property line. Daytime (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) limits run from 55 dBA for residential-to-residential noise up to 75 dBA for industrial-to-industrial.²

Residential to residential: 55 dBA
Commercial to residential: 60 dBA
Industrial to residential: 65 dBA
Commercial to commercial: 70 dBA
Industrial to industrial: 75 dBA

From 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., every number drops by 5 dBA. A separate 5 dBA reduction applies around the clock to narrow-band or steady-tone sounds, like a mechanical hum. The reductions stack, so a steady-tone source running at midnight in a residential area can face a limit as low as 45 dBA at the property line.²

If you live in a dwelling located inside a commercial or industrial zone, the nonresidential limit normally governs. But when your home predates the noise source, the city can apply more protective limits of 65 dBA in commercial zones or 70 dBA in industrial zones, still subject to the nighttime and steady-tone adjustments.²

When Construction Can Make Noise

Construction has its own allowance. From 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, up to 85 dBA measured at 50 feet from the source is permitted, which covers most heavy equipment.³

Outside those hours, the construction allowance disappears and the standard zone limits take over. The code doesn’t technically prohibit Sunday or evening work, but almost any exterior activity near a residential zone will exceed 55 dBA at the property line after 6:00 p.m., before 7:00 a.m., on Sundays, or on legal holidays. Quiet interior work can continue if it stays under those thresholds.⁴

Equipment must carry sound-control devices at least as effective as the manufacturer’s originals, and unmuffled exhaust is prohibited. A confirmed violation can draw a $5,000 civil penalty per responsible person or organization, and the city can seek a court-ordered stop-work order.³

Leaf Blower Rules

Portland regulates leaf blowers under two overlapping policies. The noise code requires that any blower used in the city be on the Noise Control Officer’s certified quiet list. From March through October, only blowers rated at 65 dBA or quieter at 50 feet qualify; November through February, the ceiling loosens to 70 dBA. Using an uncertified blower violates Title 18 regardless of how it sounds on site.⁵

A separate phase-out of gas-powered blowers began January 1, 2026. Through 2026 and 2027, gas blowers may only run from October through December. Starting in 2028, they’re banned year-round. Electric blowers are allowed all year. The rule reaches both property owners and anyone they hire, so a landscaper using a gas blower on your lot can create a violation in your name.⁶

Other Everyday Noise Restrictions

Chapter 18.12 pulls specific sources out of the general decibel system and regulates them directly.⁷

Stereos and Amplified Sound

Amplified equipment can’t be operated to cause a noise disturbance at any hour. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., sound from a stereo cannot be plainly audible inside any other dwelling. On public property or a right-of-way, amplified sound is a violation if it’s plainly audible 100 feet or more away. In permitted park events, the test is whether the sound is audible at the park boundary.⁷

Barking Dogs and Other Animals

Animal noise audible beyond the owner’s property line violates the code when it continues for at least 10 minutes straight or occurs in repeated episodes spanning at least 30 minutes. The same standard covers pets and permitted facilities like kennels.⁷

Idling Commercial Vehicles

Commercial vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more may not sit on a public right-of-way with engines or auxiliary equipment running (emergencies excepted), and on private property they can’t run when the sound is plainly audible inside a nearby dwelling. Oregon state law separately caps commercial idling at five minutes within any continuous 60-minute period.

Lawn Mowers and Power Tools

Home equipment used outdoors between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. has its own limits: 80 dBA at 25 feet or at the lot line (whichever is farther) for equipment rated five horsepower or less, and 85 dBA at the same point for larger equipment. Tools used in a home occupation are held to a much tighter 50 dBA at the lot line.⁸

What Title 18 Doesn’t Cover

Some sources sit outside Portland’s reach entirely. Emergency vehicles and emergency work are exempt, as are unamplified athletic and entertainment events (motor vehicle racing excluded), agricultural and forestry work in farm and forest zones, permitted blasting, and warning devices that sound continuously for three minutes or less.⁹

Federal law also preempts whole categories. The Noise Control Act of 1972 gives the federal government authority over railroad noise and interstate motor carrier noise.¹⁰ Aircraft noise is likewise preempted; the FAA controls airspace, flight procedures, and source noise standards, leaving the city with land-use tools but no power over flight operations themselves.¹¹ Complaints about train horns, planes, or interstate trucks don’t go through Portland’s Noise Program.

How to File a Noise Complaint

The city’s Noise Program takes complaints online through its reporting form, by email at noisecomplaints@portlandoregon.gov, or by phone at 503-823-7350. The same intake handles Title 18 complaints and reports of gas-powered leaf blower use under the phase-out.¹²

Include the exact address, a description of what you’re hearing, and the times it occurs. If the noise is happening right now and raises a safety concern, Portland’s non-emergency police line is the faster route. For recurring problems, a dated log of times and patterns strengthens enforcement.

Applying for a Variance

Projects or events that can’t meet the standard limits can apply to the Noise Control Officer or the Noise Review Board. The application has to state the date, time, and location, explain why normal limits can’t be met, attach a site plan showing the stage or job site, surrounding streets, and nearby residences, and show that neighbors within a 500-foot or two-block radius were notified.¹³

The application isn’t considered received until it’s complete and the fee is paid. Fees are set separately by City Council and published through Portland Permitting & Development.⁹ Late submissions carry surcharges, and anything filed less than three business days before the activity is rejected.¹³

In reviewing, the city weighs the physical character and duration of the sound, population density, public health and safety, whether the noise source predates the receivers, hardship versus public benefit, and the applicant’s compliance history. Standard applications to the Officer get a decision within 10 business days; those routed to the full Noise Review Board take up to 45 business days. A surcharge equal to the original fee shortens those windows to three and seven business days respectively.⁹

Penalties for a Violation

Each separate Title 18 violation can draw a civil penalty of up to $5,000. The amount reflects how serious the violation was, whether it was isolated or ongoing, any economic benefit the violator gained, and the city’s cost of investigating.¹

If a citation isn’t corrected within 30 days, the city can start charging a monthly administrative enforcement fee on top of the initial penalty. That monthly fee doubles after six months and keeps running until the problem is fixed and inspected. Construction violations can also face a court-ordered stop-work order.¹

Appealing a Noise Decision

A denied variance or a citation you believe was wrong can be appealed to the Portland City Council. The written appeal goes to the City Auditor’s Office within 10 days of the decision’s effective date and must identify the decision, lay out your specific reasons, and include your name, address, and signature. The Council can consider new evidence and may affirm, reverse, modify, or remand the decision for further review.

When the Code Isn’t Enough: Private Nuisance Claims

Meeting Title 18 doesn’t automatically protect a noise source from civil liability. Oregon law lets neighbors bring a private nuisance suit when noise substantially and unreasonably interferes with the use of their property. Courts look at severity, frequency, neighborhood character, and whether the source could feasibly reduce the impact. A noise source can comply with every decibel limit in the code and still lose a nuisance case if a judge finds the interference unreasonable. Going through the Noise Program builds a useful record, but it isn’t a prerequisite for suing.

1
Portland.gov. Chapter 18.18 Enforcement And Penalties
2
Portland.gov. Chapter 18.10 Maximum Permissible Sound Levels
3
Portland.gov. Construction Noise and Regulations
4
Portland.gov. Portland City Code 18.10.060 – Construction Activities and Equipment
5
Portland.gov. Portland City Code 18.10.035 – Leaf Blowers
6
Portland.gov. About the Equitable Gas Leaf Blower Phase-out
7
Portland.gov. Chapter 18.12 Noises Prohibited
8
Portland.gov. Title 18 Noise Control
9
Portland.gov. Chapter 18.14 Exemptions And Variances
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Noise Control
11
Federal Aviation Administration. Airport Noise and Access Restrictions
12
Portland.gov. Report a Noise Concern or Gasoline Powered Leaf Blower Concern
13
Portland.gov. Apply for a Noise Code Variance