SoundSense

Noise limits by country: legal decibel levels for homes

Most countries do not set one decibel limit for noise between neighbours. Where a number exists, it is usually measured inside the home of the person disturbed and is low: 34 dBA at night in England, 25 dB(A) inside at night in Germany, 25 dB at night in Spanish bedrooms. Many places instead set quiet hours, usually from 10 or 11 pm to 7 am, or judge noise case by case.

The tables below summarise the rules for homes and for workplaces, with a link to the official text or the authority that applies it. Local rules can be stricter, so check your council or city as well.

Noise limits for homes

Country Limit Night hours
England Night-time noise above 34 dBA inside the complainant's home (or 10 dBA above the background, if the background is over 24 dBA) can get a warning notice and a fixed penalty of up to £110. At other times, councils judge whether noise is a statutory nuisance, with no fixed level. 23:00–07:00
Germany For businesses and installations near homes (TA Lärm), outside the home: 50 dB(A) by day and 35 at night in purely residential areas, 55 and 40 in general residential areas, 60 and 45 in mixed areas. Inside: 35 by day, 25 at night. 22:00–06:00
France No fixed decibel limit for everyday neighbour noise: it is judged by its intensity, how long it lasts and how often it repeats. Night-time disturbance (tapage nocturne) can bring a €68 fixed fine and up to €450. For noise from activities, the limit is how far it rises above the normal background: 5 dB(A) by day, 3 dB(A) at night. 22:00–07:00
Spain Noise from activities that reaches neighbouring homes: living rooms 40 dB day and evening, 30 dB at night; bedrooms 35 dB day and evening, 25 dB at night (RD 1367/2007). 23:00–07:00
Italy Mainly residential areas: 55 dB(A) by day and 45 at night outside. Inside a home, noise may not exceed the background by more than 5 dB(A) by day or 3 dB(A) at night. 22:00–06:00
United States No national limit; cities and counties set their own. New York City, for example: music from a bar or shop may not exceed 42 dBA inside a home, and personal audio must not be plainly audible 25 feet away. Set locally
Australia (Victoria) No decibel limit; prohibited times instead. Music and TVs must not be heard in a neighbour's home after 10 pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday, or after 11 pm Friday and Saturday, nor before 7 am on weekdays and 9 am at weekends. Power tools: not before 7 am on weekdays or 9 am at weekends, nor after 8 pm. See times
Australia (New South Wales) No decibel limit; prohibited times instead, now under the Noise Control Regulation 2026 (in force since 28 August 2026), which moved the air conditioner cut-off to 11 pm. Musical instruments and sound equipment must not be heard in a neighbour's home before 8 am or after 10 pm, or after midnight on Friday, Saturday and the day before a public holiday. Power tools: not before 7 am on weekdays or 8 am at weekends, nor after 8 pm. See times
India Residential areas: 55 dB(A) by day and 45 at night. Silence zones around hospitals, schools and courts: 50 and 40. Commercial: 65 and 55. Industrial: 75 and 70. 22:00–06:00
Japan Environmental standard for residential areas: 55 dB by day and 45 at night; quiet areas such as around care facilities: 50 and 40. 22:00–06:00
South Africa Noise is "disturbing" when it is 7 dBA or more above the background level measured at the same point. Set locally

Laws are compromises. The World Health Organization's 2018 environmental noise guidelines for Europe recommend keeping road traffic noise below 53 dB Lden (a 24-hour average that weighs evening and night more heavily) and below 45 dB Lnight at night, measured outside the home, because higher levels are linked to health effects. For personal listening, the WHO's safe weekly allowance is 40 hours at 80 dB, falling to 20 minutes at 100 dB; see safe noise levels.

Noise limits at work

Country or region Daily limit (8 hours) Other values
European Union (all member states) 87 dB(A), counting hearing protection Hearing protection made available from 80 dB(A), required from 85 dB(A)
United Kingdom 87 dB(A), counting hearing protection Same 80 and 85 dB(A) action values as the EU
United States (OSHA) 90 dBA Hearing conservation programme from 85 dBA; time halves for every 5 dB louder
Canada 87 dB(A) for federal workplaces; 85 dB(A) in the provinces Time halves for every 3 dB louder
Australia 85 dB(A) LAeq,8h Peak limit 140 dB(C)

NIOSH, the US research institute, recommends 85 dBA with a 3 dB exchange rate, stricter than the OSHA rule; see how loud is 85 decibels.

How these limits are measured

Most home limits are averages (LAeq) over a set period, measured by an officer with a certified meter, often inside the complainant's home and with a background reading for comparison. A phone app cannot prove a breach on its own, but a dated record of readings taken the same way shows when the noise happens and how far it rises above the quiet. Our guide on how to measure noise for a complaint explains how.

Sources

Updated by the SoundSense team at Just IT.