How to Make a Noise Complaint
Who to contact about noise from neighbours, businesses, fireworks, roads, railways and aircraft, the rules in each UK nation, and a free printable noise diary to record it.
Who to contact
- Neighbours, parties, barking dogs, alarms, pubs, shops or building work: your council's environmental health team. Use GOV.UK to find your council in England and Wales, mygov.scot in Scotland or nidirect in Northern Ireland.
- Noise with threats, harassment or antisocial behaviour: the police on 101. Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress (GOV.UK).
- Fireworks after the curfew: see the fireworks rules below.
- Motorways and major A roads, railways or aircraft: see noise the council does not handle.
How to make a noise complaint, step by step
- Talk to the person first if you feel safe doing so. Many people do not realise how far their noise carries. A polite note works too.
- Keep a noise diary. Record each incident: the date, start and end times, what the noise was and how it affected you. Use the printable diary on this page. A sound level meter can add a reading to each entry, but councils make their own assessment.
- Report it to your council. Most councils have an online noise form. Give the address the noise comes from and attach or offer your diary.
- The council investigates. An environmental health officer decides whether the noise is a statutory nuisance. They may visit, ask you to keep a diary for longer or install recording equipment. GOV.UK says councils decide what level of service they provide, so response times vary.
- Abatement notice. If the council is satisfied a statutory nuisance exists, or is likely to happen or recur, it must serve an abatement notice requiring the noise to stop or be limited (Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 80). The person served can appeal within 21 days, to a magistrates' court in England and Wales or the sheriff in Scotland.
- If the notice is ignored. Breaking an abatement notice is a criminal offence. The council can prosecute, and a court can impose a fine plus a further daily fine while the offence continues (section 80).
Noise complaint rules in each UK nation
England
Councils must investigate complaints about noise that could be a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. That covers noise from homes and business premises, and from vehicles, machinery or equipment in the street.
At night (11pm to 7am) councils can also use the Noise Act 1996 against noise from homes and licensed premises. GOV.UK gives the permitted level as 34 dBA if the underlying background noise is no more than 24 dBA, or 10 dBA above the background if it is higher. An officer can serve a warning notice giving at least 10 minutes to turn the noise down. If it carries on, the fixed penalty is up to £110 for homes and £500 for licensed premises.
Wales
The same Environmental Protection Act and Noise Act powers apply. The Welsh night-time level is set by the Permitted Level of Noise (Wales) Directions 2007: 34 dB where the underlying noise does not exceed 24 dB, and 10 dB above the underlying level where it does. Use the GOV.UK council finder to report noise in Wales.
Scotland
Statutory nuisance law under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 also applies in Scotland, and councils can serve noise abatement notices (mygov.scot). The Noise Act 1996 does not apply. Instead, councils can choose to adopt night noise powers under Part 5 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, which carry a £100 fixed penalty. Where adopted, the permitted level from 11pm to 7am is 31 dB, or 10 dB above the underlying level if that exceeds 21 dB. Not every council has adopted these powers, so check with yours. Police Scotland also uses 101 for non-emergencies.
Northern Ireland
Noise complaints go to your district council, which decides whether the noise is a statutory nuisance and can serve an abatement notice. Statutory nuisance law is in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, which also lets an individual take their own legal action. nidirect sets night hours as 11pm to 7am for night noise complaints.
Fireworks noise: the rules for Bonfire Night, Diwali and New Year
In 2026 the busy dates are Bonfire Night on Thursday 5 November, Diwali on Sunday 8 November and New Year's Eve on Thursday 31 December. The rules on when fireworks can be set off depend on where you live.
England and Wales
Under the Fireworks Regulations 2004, adult fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am. The cut-off is midnight on Bonfire Night and 1am on New Year's Eve, Diwali and the first day of Chinese New Year. GOV.UK says using fireworks illegally can lead to an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison, or an on-the-spot fine of £90. Under 18s cannot buy adult fireworks or carry them in a public place.
Scotland
Members of the public can only use adult fireworks on private land between 6pm and 11pm. The finish is extended to midnight on 5 November and to 1am on New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali (Scottish Government). Breaking the rules can mean a fine of up to £5,000, up to 6 months in prison, or both. Councils can also set up firework control zones where nobody may set off fireworks at all; Edinburgh is one council using them.
Northern Ireland
You need a fireworks licence from the Department of Justice to buy, possess or use fireworks other than indoor fireworks and sparklers, and fireworks can only be set off in a public place at a licensed display (nidirect). Offences carry a maximum fine of £5,000, three months in prison, or both.
What about 120 decibels?
You may see a 120 dB figure quoted. It is a product safety limit: consumer fireworks in categories F2 and F3 must not exceed 120 dB at their safety distance under the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. It is not a noise nuisance threshold, and a firework under 120 dB can still be used illegally outside the permitted hours.
Reporting fireworks
- Fireworks used after the curfew or in a dangerous way: call the police on 101, or 999 if someone is in immediate danger (GOV.UK).
- Repeated fireworks from the same property over weeks: keep a noise diary and report it to your council as possible noise nuisance.
- Fireworks sold to under 18s or sold illegally: in England and Wales, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, which refers complaints to Trading Standards. In Scotland call Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000, and in Northern Ireland Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 (GOV.UK).
Taking action yourself: section 82
If the council will not act, section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 lets you complain directly to a magistrates' court about a statutory nuisance. For noise you must give the person responsible at least three days' written notice before starting proceedings. If the court agrees there is a nuisance, it can order it to stop. In Scotland the same right is used through the sheriff court, and in Northern Ireland the 2011 Act gives a similar right.
Noise the council does not handle
- Motorways and major A roads in England: National Highways (formerly Highways England). Local roads are the council's highways team.
- Trunk roads in Scotland: Transport Scotland. In Wales, the Welsh Government manages motorways and trunk roads. In Northern Ireland, road traffic noise goes to DfI Roads.
- Railways: there are no legal limits on noise from existing railways. Network Rail's 24-hour helpline is 03457 114 141 (GOV.UK).
- Aircraft: complain to the airport (GOV.UK). Our flight path checker lists official airport flight tracking and complaint pages. Military low flying has its own complaints route.
Free printable noise diary
Print the diary (12 rows per sheet) and fill in one row each time the noise happens. Start it before you report, so the council can see when the noise happens and how often. Note the times, what you heard and how it affected you, such as being woken or unable to work.
| Date | Start time | End time | Type of noise | How it affected you | Notes (who else heard it, recordings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From noisecheck.uk/noise-complaints/
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a statutory noise nuisance?
Noise from a home or business that unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of your home, or that harms or is likely to harm health. An environmental health officer looks at things like how loud, how long and how often the noise is, the time of day and the type of area. There is no single decibel limit for a statutory nuisance.
Who do I call about noisy neighbours at night?
Report ongoing noise to your council. In England and Wales councils can use the Noise Act 1996 at night (11pm to 7am), when the permitted level is 34 dBA, or 10 dBA above the background level if that is more than 24 dBA. Call the police on 101 if the noise comes with antisocial behaviour, and 999 if someone is in danger or a crime is in progress.
What decibel level is a noise complaint?
Most complaints are judged as a statutory nuisance, which has no fixed decibel limit. The night-time Noise Act permitted level in England and Wales is 34 dBA, or 10 dBA above the background level if that is more than 24 dBA. Scotland uses 31 dB, or 10 dB above a background level over 21 dB, where its council has adopted night noise powers.
Are fireworks allowed after 11pm?
In England and Wales adult fireworks must not be used between 11pm and 7am, except until midnight on Bonfire Night and until 1am on New Year's Eve, Diwali and the first day of Chinese New Year. In Scotland the public can use them from 6pm to 11pm, extended to midnight on 5 November and 1am on those other three nights. Northern Ireland requires a fireworks licence to buy, possess or use most fireworks.
Can I take action myself if the council does nothing?
Yes. In England and Wales, section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 lets you complain directly to a magistrates' court about a statutory nuisance. For noise you must give the person responsible at least three days' written notice first. In Scotland the same right is used through the sheriff court.
How long does a council take to deal with a noise complaint?
There is no national deadline. GOV.UK says councils decide what level of service they provide for noise complaints, so check your council's website for its response times and any out-of-hours service.
Related guides
- UK noise complaint statistics: how many complaints councils and airports record
- Decibel guide: what dB levels mean and the WHO guidelines
- Soundproofing guide: reduce noise yourself while a complaint is under way
- Flight path checker: airport tracking tools and complaint contacts
- Motorway noise: motorway corridors and National Highways contacts
- Railway noise: Network Rail complaint routes