Guide
Quiet hours, construction and tools, music and barking, exemption permits, complaints and penalties.
Milton's Noise By-law 133-2012 bans sound likely to disturb others between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., including construction equipment and power tools, with an 11 p.m. limit for fireworks, deliveries and shouting or singing. Loudspeakers, persistent barking and some vehicle noise are banned at any hour if clearly audible on another property. Complaints go to the Town's by-law enforcement at 905-878-7252 ext. 2137 or through its online form.
Most of these rules apply when the sound is clearly audible at a point of reception: a point on a property other than the one the sound comes from.
Unless the by-law provides otherwise, no one may make or allow sound likely to disturb another person between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day. Each dwelling unit counts as a separate premises, so the rule also protects neighbours in the same building.
The Noise By-law prohibits operating construction equipment between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when the sound is clearly audible at a point of reception. Construction equipment includes air compressors, pneumatic or hydraulic tools, bulldozers, excavators, generators, concrete mixers, pumps and other material handling equipment.
Near the Milton District Hospital, which the by-law names as a quiet area, construction equipment must have effective mufflers in good working order at all times.
No. Between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the by-law prohibits operating any powered or non-powered tool for purposes other than snow removal when the sound is clearly audible at a point of reception. Snow removal equipment being used to remove snow is exempt.
When clearly audible at a point of reception, these are prohibited between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.: bells, horns, sirens and similar signalling devices; banging drums or playing other unamplified instruments; off-road vehicles other than on a highway; and selling or advertising by shouting or amplified sound. Between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the by-law prohibits fireworks or explosive devices, loading, unloading and handling of containers or materials, and yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing.
Retail stores, restaurants, bars, hotels, motels and goods distribution facilities are excluded from the 11 p.m. loading and unloading rule. Separately, the Town's Fireworks By-law prohibits discharging consumer fireworks in Milton.
Yes. At any time of day, no one may make or allow sound from a loudspeaker or other electronic device that produces, reproduces or amplifies sound when it is clearly audible at a point of reception. This general prohibition is not limited to the overnight quiet hours.
Events with amplified sound or music need a noise exemption permit from the Town to go beyond these limits.
The Noise By-law prohibits persistent barking, calling, whining or other similar persistent sound made by a domestic pet, or any other animal not kept for agriculture, when it is clearly audible at a point of reception. The rule applies at any hour.
When clearly audible at a point of reception, the by-law prohibits racing a motor vehicle, squealing tires, running a combustion engine without an effective muffler, banging or clanking from an unsecured load or poor maintenance, and sounding a horn except where required or authorized by law or for good safety practice. It also prohibits idling a stationary vehicle for more than five minutes where the point of reception is in a residential or quiet area, with exceptions such as enclosed structures, cold weather and equipment like concrete trucks and refuse compactors.
Sound from a stationary source must not exceed, at a point of reception, the sound level limits in the provincial publications attached to the by-law as Schedule A: NPC-205 for urban areas, NPC-216 for residential air conditioning devices and NPC-232 for rural areas. These measured limits do not apply to sounds already covered by the by-law's set hours.
The by-law does not apply to emergency vehicles, emergency measures to protect people or property, repairs ordered under an emergency property standards order, Town machines or equipment used for emergencies, traffic signal and railway crossing bells, snow removal equipment while removing snow, normal farm practices, and bells, chimes, carillons and clocks in religious or public buildings.
You need a noise exemption permit if your event includes amplified sound or music, or activities that may exceed the Noise By-law's limits. Apply online at least 30 days before the event, explaining the event, the noise you expect and why it cannot meet the by-law. The non-refundable application fee is $313.78, and staff contact you about payment after you apply. Staff review the application and follow up by email; the Licensing and Enforcement Supervisor makes the final decision.
The Supervisor, Licensing and Enforcement, may set conditions on the type and volume of sound and the days and times it is allowed, and may require the applicant to notify the neighbourhood and the police or pay for sound monitoring. For a special event recognized by the Special Events Review Team, conditions may limit sound to 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday) and to 90 dBA measured 10 metres from the source.
An exemption is revoked immediately, without further process, if any of its conditions is broken.
Noise complaints are handled by the Town's by-law enforcement officers. Submit a complaint online, call 905-878-7252 ext. 2137 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or visit the Community Services counter at Town Hall, 150 Mary St., during the same hours. If you want the officer to follow up with you, provide your phone number, email address and residential address.
For immediate emergency help outside business hours, the Town directs residents to Halton Regional Police Service.
A municipal law enforcement officer or police officer can issue an Order to Discontinue Activity, and no one may contravene it. On conviction, a person other than a corporation faces a fine of not more than $10,000 for a first offence and not more than $25,000 for a later one; corporations face up to $50,000 and $100,000. A noise inspection fee from the User Fee By-law may also be charged and added to the property tax roll if unpaid.
Yes. Since By-law 064-2024, the Noise By-law is designated under the Town's administrative penalties system, so an officer may issue a penalty notice for each contravention. For an individual, the penalty is $200 for each day of a first contravention, $400 for a second and $800 for a third or later. Breaking an Order to Discontinue Activity costs $500 a day the first time and $1,000 a day after that.
This is a review under way, not a change to the rules above.
The Town is reviewing the Noise By-law and seeking public input through a survey on Let's Talk Milton that closes Nov. 13, 2026. The Town says the results will inform an updated by-law for Council's consideration; if approved, the updated by-law would be enacted, and implementation timelines are still to be determined.
The Town's June 9, 2026 announcement says the by-law was last updated in 2012 and that staff will also look at how exemptions are considered.
Town of Milton
By-law No. 133-2012, Noise By-law (consolidated)Town of Milton
Noise Exemption PermitTown of Milton
By-Law EnforcementTown of Milton
Noise By-law Review