Since August 2026 Montenegro has had a new Environmental Noise Protection Law, and since September 2026 a new rulebook under which residential zones allow 55 decibels by day and in the evening and 45 decibels at night. That law, however, does not apply to noise from a neighbouring flat or from bars: noise in a building is governed by the municipality's house rules, and music in hospitality venues by the Law on Tourism and Hospitality. Bars may play music from 9 am to 1 am, and noise outside the venue may not exceed 65 decibels. You report noise from bars and apartment buildings to the municipal police, and under the Municipality of Bar's decision a resident who disturbs the peace in a building by shouting or noise pays €20 to €100.
The rules come from the Environmental Noise Protection Law, the rulebook on noise indicator limit values, the Law on Tourism and Hospitality and municipal decisions on house rules in apartment buildings. This guide explains what is new, how many decibels are allowed, the rules for bars, quiet hours in buildings, where to report noise and the fines.
What does the new 2026 Environmental Noise Protection Law bring?
- Parliament adopted the law on 31 July 2026, and it entered into force on the eighth day after publication in Official Gazette 117/2026, when the 2011 law ceased to apply.
- The law prohibits environmental noise above the prescribed limit values and requires municipalities to set acoustic zones within one year of the new rulebook.
- The law does not apply to noise from a household or a neighbouring household, noise from hospitality venues, bells and loudspeakers of religious buildings or noise from animals.
- A legal entity that causes noise above the limit values pays €1,000 to €40,000, and a sole trader €1,000 to €12,000.
- Strategic noise maps for larger cities, main roads and airports must be completed by 30 June 2027.
How many decibels are allowed by day and at night?
| Acoustic zone | Day, 7 to 19 h | Evening, 19 to 23 h | Night, 23 to 7 h |
| Quiet zone in a city | 40 dB | 40 dB | 35 dB |
| Enhanced protection zone for children, the elderly and the sick, for example around schools and hospitals | 50 dB | 50 dB | 40 dB |
| Residential zone | 55 dB | 55 dB | 45 dB |
| Mixed-use zone | 60 dB | 60 dB | 50 dB |
| Zone along a main road | 60 dB | 60 dB | 55 dB |
- Music from sound systems at outdoor public gatherings and fireworks may not exceed 120 dB.
- Construction work with a permit may exceed the zone limit by no more than 5 dB, and only during the hours when work is allowed.
Until when may bars play music?
- Music and sound systems in hospitality venues and outdoors are allowed from 9 am to 1 am, if the noise does not exceed the limit values.
- Acoustic instruments without amplifiers may be used until 3 am, with the municipality's consent.
- Noise outside a bar may not exceed 65 decibels, and the device playing the music must have a sound limiter.
- The municipality may allow music without a time limit if it considers that the venue's location does not threaten the limit values.
- The municipal police measure noise 2 to 3 metres from the bar's most exposed facade, 3 metres from a beach bar or terrace, and in a flat in the middle of the room most exposed to the bar, at a height of 1.5 metres.
When are quiet hours in an apartment building?
- Each municipality sets quiet hours and noise bans in buildings in its own decision on house rules.
- In Bar, for example, quiet hours run from 15 to 17 h and from 22 to 6 h, when residents must keep the building peaceful and quiet.
- Shouting, banging or the noise of engines, machines and appliances may not disturb the peace in the building or its yard.
- Work in a flat and on common parts of the building is not carried out during quiet hours, except urgent work.
Where do you report noise?
| Source of noise | Where to report it |
| A neighbour or resident in the building | The municipal police |
| A café, bar or terrace | The municipal police, which measure the noise |
| A building site or outdoor works | The municipal inspectorate |
| A factory, workshop or other business source of noise | The environmental inspectorate |
| Quarrelling, shouting or fighting in the street | The police on 122 |
- Under the Law on Public Order and Peace, anyone who behaves indecently, quarrels or shouts in a public place pays €50 to €300 or can be sentenced to up to 15 days in prison.
Neighbours' rights over smoke, smells and other nuisances from an adjoining property are explained in our guide to neighbour law, notifying works in a flat in our guide to apartment renovation, and police and emergency numbers in our guide to emergency numbers. How to choose a quiet flat for a longer let is explained in our guide to long-term rentals, and you can find a contractor for soundproof windows and doors through the Glatko platform.
Frequently asked questions
How many decibels are allowed at night in Montenegro? In a residential zone at night, from 23 to 7 h, 45 decibels are allowed.
Until when may bars play music? Bars may play music from 9 am to 1 am, if noise outside the venue does not exceed 65 decibels.
Who do I report a noisy neighbour to? You report noise in an apartment building to the municipal police, because the municipality sets house rules in buildings.
Does the new noise law apply to neighbours? No, the Environmental Noise Protection Law does not apply to noise from a household or a neighbouring household.
What is the fine for noise in a building? The fine depends on the municipality's decision, and in Bar a resident who disturbs the peace in a building pays €20 to €100.
Can renovation work be done during quiet hours? No, except urgent work, and quiet hours in Bar run from 15 to 17 h and from 22 to 6 h.
Sources
The new Environmental Noise Protection Law (Official Gazette 117/2026, Articles 2, 4, 10, 11, 32, 34, 35 and 38) and the rulebook on noise indicator limit values (Official Gazette 124/2026, Articles 3 and 4 and Annex 1) set the limit values, zones and fines. Music in hospitality venues is governed by the Law on Tourism and Hospitality (Articles 80 and 81), and measuring noise from bars by the Ministry of Tourism instruction (Official Gazette 49/2026). Quiet hours and fines in buildings come from the Municipality of Bar's decision on house rules in apartment buildings (Official Gazette, municipal regulations 45/2020, Articles 5, 21, 27 and 34), and the fine for shouting in a public place from the Law on Public Order and Peace (Official Gazette 64/2011 and 56/2020, Article 5). The information was checked on 26 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this article is not legal advice.