To file a Lubbock noise complaint, call the Lubbock Police Department’s non-emergency line at 806-775-2865 if the noise is happening right now, or call 311 (or use the city’s online request system) during business hours for an ongoing problem. Violations of Article 14.04 of the City Code are misdemeanors, and each day the noise continues counts as a separate offense carrying a fine of up to $500.1City of Lubbock, TX. City of Lubbock Code of Ordinances – ARTICLE 14.04 NOISE – Section: 14.04.010 Penalty
Which Number to Call
The right channel depends on timing.
If the noise is active, the police non-emergency line (806-775-2865) is the better call. A dispatcher can send an officer to hear the sound firsthand, and that direct observation is usually the strongest evidence for enforcement because the ordinance turns on whether a reasonable person would be disturbed. Don’t use 911 unless there’s a safety concern layered on top of the noise, such as a domestic disturbance or gunfire.
If the problem is recurring but not happening at the moment you’re reporting it, 311 is the right route. You can call 311 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or submit the complaint through the city’s online citizen request system any time.2City of Lubbock. 311 Citizen Requests That route sends the complaint to code enforcement, which handles the longer-term paperwork side of the ordinance.
What to Have Ready
Whether you call police or 311, the person on the other end will move faster if you can give them:
- The exact address where the noise is coming from
- What the noise is (bass music, barking, machinery, voices, and so on)
- How long it has been going on, and whether it follows a pattern (for example, every Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.)
- Your name and contact information for follow-up
Specifics matter. “Loud bass music every Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.” is far more actionable than “my neighbor is noisy.” Start keeping a dated log at home too; if the case escalates, code enforcement will lean on that record.
What Counts as a Noise Violation in Lubbock
Lubbock’s standard is whether the sound “unreasonably disturbs or interferes with the sleep, peace, comfort, or repose of neighboring persons of ordinary sensibilities.” The question isn’t whether you personally find it annoying; it’s whether most people in your situation would. The ordinance lists specific categories that can trigger a violation:3City of Lubbock, TX. City of Lubbock Code of Ordinances – ARTICLE 14.04 NOISE – Section: 14.04.003 Prohibited Noises
- Animals that make frequent or habitual noise loud enough to disturb neighbors, whether at a home, kennel, or shelter
- Radios, TVs, musical instruments, and similar devices played loudly enough to disturb people nearby
- Exterior loudspeakers used for advertising, announcements, speeches, or music in a disturbing way
- Commercial construction, demolition, or repair equipment
- Outdoor power equipment in residential areas, including generator-powered inflatable play equipment
- Mechanical, electrical, or electronic equipment in residential areas
- Places of public entertainment running sound equipment above 100 dBA in customer areas without posted hearing-impairment warnings at each entrance
- A catch-all covering human voices, fireworks, vehicle horns, and any other noise source that unreasonably disturbs neighbors
Even a sound that isn’t on this list can still violate the ordinance if it meets the reasonable-person standard.
The 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Window
Three of those categories carry an extra rule overnight. Construction equipment, outdoor power equipment in residential areas, and mechanical or electronic devices in residential areas are prohibited outright between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Running the equipment at all during those hours is enough for a violation; no one has to prove disturbance.3City of Lubbock, TX. City of Lubbock Code of Ordinances – ARTICLE 14.04 NOISE – Section: 14.04.003 Prohibited Noises If the problem you’re reporting falls in this window, say so when you call.
A short list of activities is exempt from the ordinance altogether: events held by a governmental entity on property it owns or leases, public utility operations, activities at public or private schools, city-authorized events at the Mackenzie Park Amphitheater, and tire noise from emergency braking. A neighbor also may hold a city-issued noise permit (a “permit of variance”) that authorizes a specific event. If you’re not sure whether a permit is in play, code enforcement can check.
What Happens After You File
For a real-time call to the police non-emergency line, an officer may respond to the scene and listen for themselves. If the officer hears what you described and judges it unreasonable, that observation supports a citation.
For a 311 or online complaint, code enforcement opens a case file and typically contacts the property owner or occupant to notify them of the report. If the noise continues after that notice, the inspector documents the violation. The process is slower than a police response, but it builds the paper trail that matters if the case keeps going.3City of Lubbock, TX. City of Lubbock Code of Ordinances – ARTICLE 14.04 NOISE – Section: 14.04.003 Prohibited Noises Keep logging dates, times, and descriptions on your end so you can hand over supporting evidence when asked.
What a Violator Faces
A noise ordinance violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500. The number that actually matters is the per-day piece: each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. Two weeks of ignored complaints could, in principle, produce 14 separate $500 fines.1City of Lubbock, TX. City of Lubbock Code of Ordinances – ARTICLE 14.04 NOISE – Section: 14.04.010 Penalty
The $500 ceiling tracks the general cap Texas law sets for municipal ordinance violations. Fire safety, zoning, and public health ordinances can carry fines up to $2,000, but noise sits under the standard $500 cap.4State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code 54.001 – General Enforcement Authority of Municipalities Penalty
Both property owners and tenants can be cited. If the noise is coming from a rental, the city doesn’t have to go through the landlord first. A landlord who knows about repeated complaints and does nothing may also face civil exposure from affected neighbors.
If a City Complaint Isn’t Enough
When code enforcement has been ineffective and the noise is seriously affecting your quality of life or your property value, Texas recognizes private nuisance as a cause of action. To bring a claim you have to show four things: that you have an interest in the property, that the defendant’s conduct interfered with your use and enjoyment of it, that the interference was substantial enough to bother a reasonable person, and that it caused you actual harm.
A court can award money damages (for things like lost property value or medical expenses tied to sleep deprivation) and can issue an injunction ordering the activity to stop. The trade-off is that filing fees, attorney costs, and the burden of proof fall on you.
Fair Housing Protections for Noise Sensitivity
If you have a disability that makes you especially sensitive to noise, such as a hearing condition, PTSD, or autism spectrum disorder, the Fair Housing Act requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations when necessary for a person with a disability to have equal opportunity to use and enjoy their home. Hearing is listed among the “major life activities” the law covers.5U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
In practice, that might mean a landlord enforcing quiet hours more aggressively on your behalf, allowing you to install soundproofing, or moving you to a quieter unit if one is available. The accommodation has to be reasonable; it can’t impose an undue financial or administrative burden. The protection applies to nearly all housing, with a narrow exception for owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer units.