Community sound level standards.
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 34-6
in effect§ 34-6. - Community sound level standards.
(a) Classification of use districts. Land use zoning district classifications shall be as set out in the zoning ordinance distinguishable as residential, commercial, and agricultural/industrial land use classifications, within which sound levels of Table I of Section 34-12 shall be locally measurable and applied by the use of L90, L10, and L1 percentile levels computed within each time interval of all time intervals used to quantify any measurement period for the evaluation of a given alleged violation from a stationary source of sound or as may be otherwise specifically provided in this Chapter. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or to permit to be operated any stationary source of sound which, during any sound level measurement period time interval thereof when measured at the boundary or at any point within the property affected by such sound:
(1) creates a unit percentile sound level (L1) greater than 15 dB(A), above its ambient sound pressure level (L90) limit, as indicated within a given time division of land use classifications of Table I; or
(2) creates a 90th percentile sound level (L90) or a tenth percentile sound level (L10) which exceeds limits as set out within a given time division of land use classifications of Table I;
(3) sound projected from one use district into another use district of a lesser sound level limit shall not exceed such lesser sound level measured at the boundary of such use district;
(4) for any stationary source of sound which emits impulsive sound, the limits set forth in Table I shall be reduced by five dB(A).
(b) Sound level measurement. Sound level measurements shall be undertaken with a sound level meter of Type 2 or better as specified in American National Standards Institute Publication SI.4-1971 or its successor publication, using the A-weighted network scale, in conformance with standards thus promulgated. A field use acoustical calibrator shall be used to verify calibration of the sound level meter before and after noise measurements are taken any day. All equipment used in sound level measurement shall be calibrated to standards traceable to the National Bureau of Standards and shall be recalibrated at least once each year, computed from the date of the previous calibration.
(c) "Stationary source of sound" means a device which creates sound while fixed in position, including but not limited to residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural machinery, pumps, fans, compressors, air conditioners and refrigeration equipment.
(Code 1980, § 34-6; Ord. No. 19581, § 4, 5-29-91; Ord. No. 24138, § 2, 9-28-10)
Source: City of Oklahoma City, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2020_CH34NO_S34-6COSOLESTFetched: 10/28/2026