Miami-Dade County Noise Ordinance: Hours, Rules, and Penalties

The Miami-Dade County noise ordinance, codified at Section 21-28 of the County Code, prohibits any unreasonably loud, excessive, or unusual noise and enforces that rule mainly through a 100-foot audibility test rather than decibel readings. Stricter standards apply overnight between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and violations can bring fines of up to $500, up to 60 days in county jail, or civil penalties that escalate with each repeat offense. The rules below apply in unincorporated Miami-Dade; incorporated cities set their own.

The 100-Foot Audibility Rule

You do not need a decibel meter to be cited, and neither does an officer. The practical enforcement line is whether the sound is plainly audible 100 feet from where it originates: your building, your yard, or your vehicle.¹ Radios, televisions, and stereos are named specifically in the ordinance, and the same 100-foot test applies to animal noise from the property where the animal is kept.

During the day, an officer still has to judge whether audible noise rises to the level of “unreasonably loud” in context. That subjective piece is what makes daytime complaints harder to enforce than nighttime ones.

Quiet Hours: 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the ordinance removes the judgment call for audio equipment. If a stereo, television, or radio can be heard 100 feet away during those hours, that alone is prima facie evidence of a violation.¹ An officer hearing the sound at that distance during quiet hours does not need to prove anything else to write the citation.

The underlying language of Section 21-28 stays broad on purpose, using a “person of ordinary sensibilities” standard so that unusual noise sources can still be reached.² But for the vast majority of complaints, the 100-foot rule and the 11 p.m. cutoff are what enforcement turns on.

Construction Hours Are Tighter

Construction equipment cannot operate near residences, including apartments and condos, between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.³ Note the earlier cutoff: crews must shut down three hours before the general nighttime quiet period starts.

Four categories are exempt from the construction hours:

Emergency work necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare.
Work that would qualify for an emergency-basis building permit.
Bona fide agricultural activity as defined under Florida law.
Construction performed by or on behalf of a public utility.

Outside those categories, the Mayor or a designee can issue a temporary permit allowing work to start earlier or run later.⁴ If a contractor is working odd hours and claims permission, ask to see that permit.

Barking Dogs and Other Animal Noise

Animal noise is covered when it is plainly audible 100 feet from the building, yard, or structure where the animal is kept. Audibility alone is not enough, though: the noise also has to be “frequent, habitual, or long continued,” which the code defines in specific terms.²

A single continuous episode lasting more than 30 minutes, or
At least three separate episodes, each longer than 15 minutes, within three consecutive days.

The owner or keeper is the person responsible, and the code defines that broadly. Anyone who confined the animal to the property, or who intentionally fed it or animals of the same species there within the preceding 14 days, can be treated as the keeper. Feeding stray cats that then howl through the night can put you on the hook.

Penalties

A violation of Section 21-28 can be pursued criminally, civilly, or both. On the criminal side, a conviction can carry a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in county jail, or both.² Jail time is reserved in practice for the worst repeat offenders, but it is on the books.

The civil enforcement track under Chapter 8CC is where the money adds up. Penalties double with each repeat violation, capped at $1,000 for the first day of any single repeat offense. Continuing violations that are not corrected by the deadline accrue additional daily penalties, stacking up to 20 times the original amount, and a $10 technology surcharge is added to every civil penalty.⁵ Ignore enough citations and the exposure grows fast.

Section 21-28 violations are also eligible for the county’s Diversion Program, which can resolve a first offense without a fine or criminal record if the offender completes the requirements.

How to Report a Noise Violation

The county’s 311 system is the starting point, reachable by phone, mobile app, or online.⁶ For noise happening right now, especially late at night, call the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 305-SHERIFF (305-743-7433), which replaced the older 305-4-POLICE number.⁷ Save 911 for actual safety threats.

What to Have Ready

Specific complaints get better results. Before you call, gather:

The exact street address the noise is coming from, not your own.
When the noise started and how long it has been going. For animal complaints, note whether it has passed the 30-minute mark or the three-episode pattern.
What the sound is: music, construction, a barking dog, something else.
Your name and phone number, which most channels require for follow-up.

If it is a recurring problem, keep a written log with dates, times, and durations. A single call rarely produces a citation. A documented pattern showing the same address generating the same noise repeatedly is what pushes a case toward enforcement, especially when it lines up with the code’s habitual-disturbance definitions.

What Happens Next

An officer or code inspector typically visits the location to verify the noise and whether it meets the ordinance’s standards. A first response is usually a warning, giving the property owner a chance to correct the problem. If the noise continues, citations can follow through either the criminal or civil track. Unpaid civil penalties can eventually become liens on the property.⁵

If You Live in an Incorporated City

These rules apply in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Cities such as Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, and the county’s other municipalities have their own noise ordinances, with different hours, standards, and enforcement channels. Some are stricter than the county, and some route complaints through their own code compliance offices instead of 311 or the sheriff’s office. If you are not sure which set of rules covers your address, check your city’s code of ordinances before filing.

1
Miami-Dade County Film & Entertainment Office. Miami-Dade County Noise Ordinance
2
Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade County Code Section 21-28 – Noises Unnecessary and Excessive Prohibited
3
Miami-Dade County. Amended Noise Ordinance Affects Builders and Contractors
4
Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade County Legislative Matter 231023
5
Municode Library. Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances – Chapter 8CC Code Enforcement
6
Miami-Dade County. 311 Contact Center
7
Miami-Dade County. MDSO’s New Non-Emergency Line