Rio Rancho noise ordinance is now in effect

After work that goes back more than eight years, the city of Rio Rancho’s updated noise ordinance went into effect on July 1.

The updated ordinance replaces a very broad and vague noise ordinance that doesn’t set specific limits as to what decibel levels are too loud.

The city now has an updated ordinance that would use a decibel measuring system, setting acceptable levels for noise both day and night. The ordinance also sets different sound rules depending on the area, such as residential versus commercial and mixed-use areas.

“The ordinance is based on review and research of communities across the state as well as the Southwest,” City Manager Matt Geisel said. “We are looking to strike a balance between the needs and wants of both businesses and the residents, both long-standing legacy residents of Rio Rancho who came here back in the '80s or the '90s as well as the growing needs of our community while also seeking an effective use of city resources.”

From Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2023, the Rio Rancho Police Department received 1,323 calls for service related to noise complaints, and just seven citations were issued for municipal court.

Rio Rancho Deputy City Manager Peter Wells said the previous noise ordinance did not define what exactly a noise violation is. The City’s Unreasonable Noise Ordinance had elements that were subjective and undefined. According to the previous noise ordinance, any noise that annoys or disturbs someone constitutes a violation of the law, with a penalty enforced.

“It essentially boils down to, if any noise disturbs someone, that can constitute a call to our police department. And then an officer’s going to have to make a judgment call with no clear data or standard threshold to decide whether or not they feel that is unreasonable, and it’s annoying and disturbing,” Wells said. “So I will tell you that our language is very old. It is cookie-cutter language that a lot of communities adopted for original ordinances or charters and whatnot. But as communities get larger, and they have more issues, they have to go to a more scientific, defined approach, and I think that’s where Rio Rancho is.”

The new ordinance requires residential areas to keep noise below 55 decibels from the hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. At night, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekends, they must keep the noise down to 50 decibels. Retail and commercial businesses are slightly higher. In the day, they have to keep the noise to 65 decibels, and at night it goes down to 60 decibels.

As the Fourth of July approaches, Fireworks displays are among the 13 exceptions and exclusions to the ordinance. The decibel level limits do not apply to any public or private legally permitted fireworks displays.

Rio Rancho will spend about $12,000 on decibel meters so officers can make official noise measurements.

Noise will be measured by a police officer from the source's property Line. The noise must be above the decibel limit for a 10-minute period.

“I appreciate the work that the city has done on this. We often get noise complaints, and there's very little we could do about it. Having something written in stone that gives us the teeth to actually enforce it and the guidance for our officers means the world to me and that makes our job just a little bit easier,” Rio Rancho Police Chief Stewart Steele said. “But just from an enforcement standpoint, it really helps us. Do I believe we'll be out there on patrol looking for loud noise? No, I don't, but we will be responding to complaints of loud noises. So that makes a difference.”

If someone does need to call in a noise complaint, the city asks that they call the non-emergency dispatch line at 505-891-7226. If police find someone violating the noise ordinance, they can be fined $500.

For more information on the ordinance, people can head to the city of Rio Rancho website.