Minneapolis Noise Ordinance: Quiet Hours, Permits, and Penalties

The Minneapolis noise ordinance, set out in Chapter 389 of the city code, does not work through a single decibel cap the way many cities do. Instead, most noise is judged against the ambient sound level already in the area, and a violation happens when the source is a set number of decibels louder than that background. The gap allowed shrinks between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and certain acts, like blasting music from a car stereo, are treated as violations on their own regardless of measurement.

How the City Decides What Counts as Too Loud

The threshold depends on where the sound is measured and what time it is. Inside a complainant’s building, with doors and windows closed, a noise source is a violation when it registers 10 dB(C) or more above ambient during the day (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), and 5 dB(C) or more above ambient at night (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.). The C-weighted scale is used because it picks up the low-frequency bass that carries through walls in apartments and condos.¹

For outdoor measurements, the ordinance defers to Minnesota Rules, Chapter 7030. A sound outside violates the ordinance if it both exceeds those state limits and rises 5 dB(A) or more above ambient between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., or 10 dB(A) or more above ambient between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.²

Because the reference point is ambient, context matters. A sound that would be unremarkable on a busy commercial block can easily violate the ordinance in a quiet residential neighborhood, since the ambient level is lower and the same source opens a larger gap.

Acts That Are Always Violations

Some things break the ordinance on their own terms, without anyone taking a decibel reading.

Playing music or other audio from a car stereo or vehicle speaker system that can be heard from 50 feet or more away is a misdemeanor, whether the vehicle is moving or parked.³
Amplified music or audio from speakers inside or outside a building that measures 5 dB(A) or more above ambient on adjacent property or the public right-of-way is a violation, unless a sound permit covers it.³
Keeping an animal or bird that makes long, frequent, or continuous noise likely to cause significant annoyance to a reasonable person nearby is prohibited.²
Sounding a horn or signal device on a vehicle that is not moving is a violation, unless you are warning of danger or directing traffic.²
Operating a poorly maintained car, truck, or motorcycle that produces noise likely to cause significant annoyance to a reasonable person is prohibited.²

The vehicle stereo rule is the one most people encounter. The 50-foot standard applies to the vehicle owner if present, and otherwise to whoever is in control of the vehicle. Anyone who helps produce the sound can also be held responsible.³

Noisy Parties and Unruly Gatherings

Minneapolis handles late-night parties under a separate framework. A noisy or unruly assembly is a gathering of more than one person in a residential area between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. that would cause significant discomfort or annoyance to a reasonable person, given the time of day and the residential character of the neighborhood. The definition is broad enough to cover excessive noise, fighting, underage drinking, littering, and public urination.¹

Both participating in and knowingly permitting a noisy or unruly assembly on property you control are violations. After police respond, the city mails a notice to the property owner or rental license holder within 10 business days. That notice stays active for 180 days. A second police response at the same address inside that window brings an administrative citation with a fine set by the city council’s schedule.¹

For landlords, the stakes go further. Noisy assemblies count as disorderly use of a licensed rental property, and a third qualifying incident within 12 to 18 months (depending on building size) can result in the rental license being denied, revoked, suspended, or not renewed.⁴

Construction and Demolition Hours

Power equipment for construction or demolition is only allowed between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Any power-equipment work on Saturdays, Sundays, or city holidays requires an after-hours work permit.⁵

A few carve-outs apply. Hand tools like hammers can be used at any time. Contractors can work inside a standalone building with all doors and windows closed without a permit. Homeowners working on their own property get slightly extended hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Rental license holders with tenants can do work under those same extended hours if the work takes place in an enclosed, insulated building that does not share a wall with another building or occupant.⁵

Snow Removal and Other Exemptions

Snow removal is not blanketly exempt. Commercial snow plowing and parking lot sweeping in residential areas is restricted to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. unless there is an official snow emergency or a winter precipitation event that requires plowing for public safety. City departments, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and Hennepin County can operate snow equipment on public streets and public areas whenever the city engineer determines it is in the public interest.¹

Personal snow blowers follow a simpler rule. You can run one at any time during an official snow emergency, and at any time within 24 hours after a snowfall of one inch or more.²

Other exemptions cover emergency utility repairs where there is a clear and immediate danger to life, health, or significant property; religious bells, chimes, and carillons between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., limited to 10 minutes in any hour and 60 minutes in any 24-hour period; and sound equipment operating under a valid permit issued under Section 389.105.¹

Amplified Sound Permits for Events

Events that need outdoor amplification can apply to the city for a sound permit. A daytime permit covers equipment used between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Extended-hours permits are harder to get and are generally limited to large block events with their own event permit, publicly owned property in the central business district, or situations approved by the commissioner of health. Applications must be filed at least 36 hours in advance; missing that window adds a 50 percent penalty fee on top of the permit cost.¹

How to Report a Noise Problem

Where you report depends on what you are hearing. For loud vehicle stereos, call 911. The city specifically directs residents to use 911 for that because police need to respond before the vehicle drives off.⁶

For everything else, ongoing construction, amplified music from a building, a noisy neighbor, contact 311. You can reach 311 by phone at 311 or 612-673-3000, by email at minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov, through the 311 mobile app, or through the online report-an-issue form. The service runs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.⁶

Include the address the noise is coming from, when it started, how long it has gone on, and a description of the sound. Enforcement officers use those details to decide which provision of Chapter 389 applies. Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., an officer will usually issue a verbal order to stop or reduce the noise before writing a violation. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., no verbal warning is required.²

Penalties

The city can pursue noise violations through criminal prosecution, administrative citations, injunctions, or adverse action against a license or permit, alone or in combination.¹

For amplified vehicle sound, the fine schedule is written into the ordinance. A first offense is up to $500, a second up to $700, and a third or later offense up to the maximum allowed amount. Every offense is a misdemeanor.³

Noisy or unruly assemblies can bring fines up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail.⁷

Illegal after-hours construction carries fines up to $2,000 per day, and the city can issue a cease-and-desist order stopping the project entirely.⁵

Separately, any license or permit holder who fails to comply with Chapter 389 gives the city good cause to take adverse action against that license or permit, whether it is a rental license, a liquor license, a business license, or a provisional license.¹

If You Are a Renter Dealing With Ongoing Noise

Renters have leverage beyond 311 complaints. Every lease in Minnesota carries an implied covenant of quiet enjoyment, which means the landlord must refrain from actions that substantially interfere with your ability to use your home. A breach generally requires more than minor inconvenience; the noise must interfere with an essential aspect of the property enough to make it unsuitable for living.

The practical path starts with documenting the noise and reporting it through 311. If the source is something the landlord controls or another tenant they have authority over, repeated complaints build a record that supports a habitability claim. The rental licensing system does much of that pressure work on its own, since a landlord’s license is at risk after a third qualifying disorderly use incident within 12 to 18 months.⁴

1
Municode Library. Minneapolis, Minnesota Code of Ordinances – Chapter 389 Noise
2
Noise Pollution Clearinghouse. Noise Ordinance for Minneapolis MN
3
Municode Library. Minneapolis, Minnesota Code of Ordinances – Chapter 389 Noise
4
Municode Library. Minneapolis, Minnesota Code of Ordinances – Rental Dwelling Licenses
5
City of Minneapolis. After Hours Work
6
City of Minneapolis. Noise Complaint
7
City of Minneapolis. Noisy Party