Calling the local police (Policía Local) about noise

Key rules

• Number: Call 092 for the local police in most big cities, or 112 anywhere in Spain.
• No fine on the spot: Officers can warn and report, but only the town hall decides and issues the fine.
• Entry: Officers cannot enter a home without consent, a judicial warrant or a crime in progress.
• Fine amounts: Fines depend on your city's noise ordinance, so check its bands for exact figures.

Which number to call

Call 092 for the local police about noise in most big cities, or 112 anywhere in Spain. The 112 operator passes your call on to the right force.

Some cities, such as Bilbao, have their own separate local number. Check your town hall's website for the current line. If your area has no local police, the Guardia Civil (062) or the Policía Nacional (091) cover it.

Call while the noise is happening. Officers can only record what they see or hear when they arrive.

What the officers can do

The Policía Local can come to the address, ask the people to lower the noise and warn them. They can also write a denuncia, a formal report of what they saw and heard.

Many forces carry a sonometer, a noise meter. They can measure inside your home or at the source. A measurement follows set conditions, such as windows and doors being closed, and allows a margin of error. Availability varies by city and by how busy the force is, especially at night.

Without a measurement, officers can still report noise they notice directly, such as shouting, loud music or a party. Their report counts as proof of what they saw.

The officers cannot enter your neighbour's home unless someone lets them in, a judge has issued a warrant, or a crime is happening. They also cannot set the final fine. The town hall does that.

What fines are possible

Each city sets its own fines in its noise ordinance. Most use three bands: minor, serious and very serious. Minor fines are usually low hundreds of euros at most. Serious fines usually go up to the low thousands. Very serious fines can reach several thousand euros, and more in some cities.

The band depends on how far the noise goes over the legal limit, the time of day (night is treated more severely), repeat offences and whether it harms health. Read your city's ordinance for the exact figures.

What happens after the report

A visit alone does not lead to a fine. The report has to reach the town hall's sanctions department, which opens a disciplinary file (expediente sancionador). The timeline below shows the steps.

Your neighbour is notified and usually has 10 to 15 working days to reply and offer evidence. Paying early or admitting the offence often gives a reduced fine. The neighbour can challenge the final decision.

The town hall has a limited time to decide, often 6 to 12 months depending on the ordinance. If it runs out, the case can lapse (caducidad) and no fine follows. Deadlines vary by city and region.

Choosing what to ask for

When the officers arrive, decide whether you want a warning only, a formal report, or a measurement. For noise that keeps coming back, ask for the formal report, because only a report can lead to a fine. The decision and checklist below help you choose.

Choosing between options

What do you ask the officers to do when they arrive?

• Ask them to lower the noise and warn the neighbour: The noise is a one-off, such as a party, and you want it to stop now.

• Ask them to file a formal report (denuncia): The noise keeps happening or the officers hear it themselves, and you want the town hall to open a fine process.

• Ask them to measure the noise: The officers carry a sonometer and the noise is hard to prove by ear, for example a constant low hum or bass.

Ask for a warning if it is a one-off. If the noise repeats, ask for a formal report, and add a measurement when the officers can take one.

Timeline and deadlines

• The police report goes to the town hall's sanctions department, which opens a disciplinary file (expediente sancionador): after the officers file the report

• Your neighbour is notified, usually by post or electronic notification: after the file is opened

• Your neighbour sends their side and any evidence: typically 10 to 15 working days after notification

• The town hall issues a proposed resolution, then the final resolution with the fine; paying early or admitting fault often reduces the fine: after the allegations period

• The decision can be challenged by a recurso de reposición (a request to the town hall to review it) or a court appeal: after the final resolution

Checklist

• Ask the officers to measure the noise if they carry a sonometer (noise meter), inside your home or at the source.

• Ask the officers to file a formal report (denuncia) of what they observed.

• Read your town hall's noise ordinance to see its fine bands: minor, serious and very serious.

What to watch out for

• A visit alone does not lead to a fine: If officers only ask your neighbour to lower the noise, nothing is recorded and no fine follows. They cannot impose the fine themselves. Ask them to file a formal report (denuncia) if the noise keeps happening.

• Officers cannot enter the home: Without consent, a judge's warrant or a crime in progress, the police cannot go inside, so they may not be able to measure at the source. Ask them to report what they hear directly, or to measure from inside your home.

• Fines depend on your city: Each town hall's ordinance sets its own fine bands, and the amount depends on how far the noise exceeds the limit, the time of day, repeat offences and harm to health. Read your town hall's ordinance before you expect a particular fine.

• The case can lapse: If the town hall does not resolve the file within its time limit, often 6 to 12 months, the case can lapse and no fine is paid. Report each new incident, and ask the town hall's sanctions department how your file is going.

Frequently asked questions

Can the police enter my neighbour's home to stop the noise?

No, officers cannot enter a home without the occupant's consent, a judge's warrant or a crime happening in front of them. They normally deal with the noise from the door, the street or your home. If nobody opens, they can still report what they heard from outside.

Will the police fine my neighbour on the spot?

No, the police cannot impose the final fine themselves, because the town hall decides it. Officers can warn the neighbour and file a formal report, and that report is what starts the town hall's process.

Does the report still count if the police had no noise meter?

Yes, a report can still count without a measurement if the officers heard the noise themselves, such as shouting, loud music or a party. What they saw and heard in their report is treated as proof of those facts, unless the neighbour shows otherwise.