Noise Variance Permits | City of Bend

Noise Variance Permits can cover just one event or a series of events. City of Bend code cites specific time periods and decibel levels allowed within city limits for sound levels. If you want to go over the allowed time or sound levels, you need a variance.

Our Zoning Lookup Tool can help you find out if you need a Noise Variance Permit for your event. It shows where the sound will come from and which areas it will affect.

Apply for a Noise Variance Permit

Carefully review the application steps and necessary materials listed below to ensure your application is complete. For a successful submission, please use the Online Permit Center and follow the provided instructions:

Fees:

$250: due once your Notification to Property Owners have been mailed (see below for full details)

Processing Time:

45 Days: you need to submit your application at least 45 days before your event to give us enough time to process it

1Step: Prepare and complete the required application documents

Prior to submitting for your Noise Variance Permit application, complete the following items. These will be submitted with your application.

Complete the Acknowledgement Form.

2Step: Submit your Noise Variance Permit Application

Begin Noise Variance Permit Application

In the Online Permit Center Portal, under choose the application type, select “Noise Variance Permit.”
Complete the rest of the form and submit the application.
- Be sure to have all previously completed items from Step 1 above ready to upload to your application.

3Step: Send notice to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of your event location

Once we process your initial application, we’ll send you instructions on how to notify property owners.
- You’ll have 5 days from receiving these instructions to mail out the notifications.
Prepare a copy of Notification to Property Owners.
- Example Letter Template.
- It is required to notify property owners within 500 feet if your event will exceed noise levels or time limits.
- For your convenience, our staff can review your notices before you send them out, if you ask us to. We’ll also provide you with the mailing addresses needed for public notification.

4Step: Prepare and Submit Additional Items and Fee for the Application

Once you have sent out the Notification required in Step 3 above you will need to complete these additional items:

Login to the Online Permit Center Portal and locate your Noise Variance Permit application under ‘My Items’.
- Upload a copy of the Notification to Property Owners you mailed out.
- Complete and upload a Declaration of Notice.
- Pay your $250 application fee.
NOTE: you will need to complete the above items within the 5-day period listed above.

5Step: Public Comment Period

When you have fully completed steps 1-4, there will be a 15-day period for property owners to submit their comments to us. They can either support or oppose your Noise Variance Permit application during this time.

6Step: Application Decision

After the 15-day public comment period, all the comments will be reviewed and then the City Manager will issue a decision on your variance request.
The City Manager will use our Policy of Criteria to decide whether to grant, condition, or deny your request.
- More information on the process can be found in our Bend City Code.
NOTE: after the City Manager issues the decision on your Noise Variance Permit, there is a 15-day window in which the applicant can appeal the decision by email to City Council.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my application fee refundable?

Can I appeal an unfavorable decision regarding my application?

Is there a specific section in the Bend City Code outlining all of the requirements for Noise Variances?

Can Noise Variance Permits be renewed?

What are the specific decibel levels and timeframes per zone?

The allowed decibel levels and timeframes per zone are listed below. dBA stands for Decibels A. It measures how noise affects people and changes with different noise levels. If you plan to exceed these limits, you’ll need a Noise Variance Permit:

Residential Zone (RL, RS, RM, RM-10, RH):
- 65 dBA from 7am to 10pm
- 60 dBA from 10pm to 7am
Commercial Zone (CB, CC, CL, CG, ME, MR, PO, MU, MN):
- 70 dBA from 7am to 10pm
- 65 dBA from 10pm to 7am
Industrial Zone (IG, IL):
- 75 dBA from 7am to 10pm
- 70 dBA from 10pm to 7am

Are there any noises that are specifically banned within City limits?

Yes, there are. According to Bend City code, the following noises are not allowed within the city limits:

Using exhaust brakes (jake brakes) unless it’s an emergency or you’re driving an emergency vehicle with a muffled braking system.
Honking horns or using other signal devices on any vehicle while moving, except as a danger signal.
Using gongs or sirens on any vehicle, except for police, fire, or other emergency vehicles, unless it’s during a parade.
Driving any vehicle that’s in poor repair, without a legal exhaust system, or in a way that creates loud noise from 50 feet away.
Using any vehicle outside of public roads where the noise is too loud.
Running air conditioning or heating units, heat pumps, refrigeration units (including those on vehicles), swimming pool or hot tub pumps, blowers, power fans, engines, electric motors, compressors, or similar machinery that isn’t muffled enough to avoid being loud to someone on another property.
Doing construction work (including excavating, demolishing, altering, or repairing buildings, streets, sidewalks, driveways, sewers, or utility lines) between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., except as allowed by Bend City Code.
Using or allowing the use of mechanical or electrical speakers or amplifiers, either stationary or mobile, that create noise plainly audible at the property line of a residence or noise-sensitive unit, other than where the noise is generated, between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This applies to any noise from a speaker or amplifier, whether on private or public property. If the noise comes from a commercial establishment, a noise meter reading will be taken as additional evidence of a violation.
Any yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, singing, or other human-produced noise that is too loud.

Are there any exceptions to the current City Code regarding noise?

Yes, there are. Some exceptions are not considered violations of the City code:

Sounds from organized sports or similar activities at places like stadiums, parks, schools, and athletic fields between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. If an event is expected to end by 10 p.m. but runs late due to weather, overtime, or other reasons, the exception still applies until the event ends.
Sounds from emergency work or the normal use of emergency equipment.
Sounds from emergency warning devices and alarm systems for up to 15 minutes or while the emergency is happening. All alarms must automatically turn off after 15 minutes.
Sounds regulated by Federal law, like those from railroads, interstate trucks, or aircraft.
Sounds from regular vehicle traffic on public roads if they follow State law. This doesn’t include a single vehicle making noise louder than the allowed limit.
Sounds from air, electrical, or gas-powered tools, like lawn and construction tools, between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Sounds made by City of Bend garbage collectors.
Sounds from removing snow or ice from public or private property.
Sounds from cleaning or maintaining City streets by City workers or contractors.
Sounds from cleaning commercial or industrial parking lots or private roads between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m., if the noise doesn’t exceed 65 dBA at 50 feet from the property edge between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Normal speech volume from a group of people.
Sounds from concerts at an outdoor amphitheater with at least 5,000 people between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., if concerts or outdoor events are allowed on the property.

What is the process and methods for enforcing noise-related code?

The following list outlines some of the processes and methods for enforcing noise code:

Some buildings, like homes, hotels, churches, day care centers, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes, are called Noise Sensitive Units. Decibel levels will be measured from the property of a Noise Sensitive Unit where a complaint has been made.
Decibel levels must comply with the zone where a Police Officer is taking the reading or with a Noise Variance Permit if one has been issued.
If you don’t have a Noise Variance Permit, the event must stay within the already permitted decibel levels.
We recommend using a smartphone app to measure the noise from the nearest Noise Sensitive Unit to ensure the event is within permitted decibel levels.

Are there any considerations for events that will be hosted in City parks?

Yes, there are. City parks are owned by the Bend Parks and Recreation District, and they have their own noise rules. For example, events at Vince Genna Stadium can’t go past the 10:00 p.m. cut-off time. Please check the park guidelines for noise and other uses online.

Note: Bend Parks and Recreation District rules override all City of Bend noise rules as long as the amplified sound is generated on park property.

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