Submitting  a Complaint

Complaints about an ABC-licensed establishment may be submitted by:

Completing an online form
Calling ABRA’s Main Line—202.442.4423

• Available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Calling ABRA’s Afterhours Hotline —202.329.6347

• Available daily, 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. You may be asked to leave a voicemail message if our investigators are in the field or on another call.

Anonymous complaints are welcomed.

What to Expect

All received complaints will be reviewed and responded to within 24 hours.

Noise complaints are the most commonly received complaint. Detailed information on noise laws and how they are enforced is available online. 

If you submit a formal complaint about an ABC-licensed establishment’s noise specifically infiltrating your home or workplace you will need to provide access to an ABRA investigator to determine if they can hear the alleged noise, discover the source of the noise, and determine if the level of sound constitutes a violation. 

This requirement applies at all times of the day including between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. when most noise complaints are made. If access is refused, ABRA investigators will investigate the noise levels at the ABC-licensed establishment and make their assessment. 

ABRA investigators responding to a noise complaint made from a resident’s home regarding hearing excessive noise is not the same as a visit from the Noise Task Force. 

Once a complaint is investigated, ABRA’s enforcement team may cite the establishment via citation, prepare an investigative report, or determine that no violation has occurred.