Noise Ordinances in Chesapeake, VA

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Chesapeake, Virginia, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Leaf Blower Rules

Running a leaf blower, lawn edger, power fan, or other gas or electric powered equipment is banned in Chesapeake from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. weeknights, and to 8 a.m. Sundays, if the noise carries across a property line or 50 feet.

Key details: Banned nighttime hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. weeknights. Weekend curfew end: 8:00 a.m. Sunday. Covered equipment: Leaf blowers, edgers, power fans, mowers. Audibility threshold: 50 feet or across property line. First-offense penalty: $250.00 civil.

A first violation of the curfew on powered equipment is a $250.00 civil penalty under Sec. 26-131(a), rising to $500.00 for a repeat offense from the same facts. The city may instead prosecute it as a class 4 misdemeanor, fined up to $250.00 per occasion, with each night's use a separate offense.

Decibel Limits

Chesapeake caps sound at 55 dBA measured on residential property, and 60 dBA on commercial or agricultural property, using a certified sound level meter, under Sec. 26-130. Levels are checked from the complaining property's zoning district.

Key details: Residential max level: 55 dBA. Commercial/agricultural max: 60 dBA. Measurement standard: ANSI type 1/2 sound level meter. Meter calibration validity: 12 months maximum. Measured from: Complaining/receiving property's zoning.

Exceeding the Table 1 limit is a $250.00 civil penalty for a first offense and $500.00 for a repeat offense from the same facts under Sec. 26-131(a), or a class 4 misdemeanor fined up to $250.00 under Sec. 26-131(b). Civil summonses do not apply to railroad, licensed mining, or industrial-property noise sources.

Aircraft Noise

Aircraft noise is fully exempt from Chesapeake's noise ordinance. Sec. 26-141(8) excuses all aircraft under FAA jurisdiction from the article, so nearby flight operations, including at Chesapeake Municipal Airport, are not enforceable local noise violations.

Key details: Aircraft noise status: Fully exempt from noise article. Governing section: Sec. 26-141(8). Basis: FAA jurisdiction over aircraft. Local penalty available: None. Local complaint process: Not applicable to exempt sources.

There is no local violation or penalty for aircraft noise: Sec. 26-141(8) removes it entirely from the noise article, so the civil ($250.00/$500.00) and class 4 misdemeanor penalties of Sec. 26-131 do not apply, and citizens cannot use the Sec. 26-127 magistrate-affidavit process against an exempt aircraft noise source.

Chesapeake is more permissive than most cities when it comes to aircraft noise. That said, there are still limits.

Quiet Hours

Chesapeake bars loud loudspeakers, music, construction, and yelling that carry across property lines between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. weeknights, and until 8 a.m. on Sundays. The city manager's administrator, usually the police chief or zoning administrator, enforces it citywide.

Key details: Curfew hours (Mon-Sat): 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.. Curfew hours (Sat-Sun): 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.. Audibility threshold: 50 feet or across property line. Civil penalty, 1st offense: $250.00. Civil penalty, repeat offense: $500.00.

A first curfew violation is a civil infraction carrying a $250.00 penalty; each later offense from the same facts is $500.00, per Sec. 26-131(a). The city may instead pursue it as a class 4 misdemeanor under Sec. 26-131(b), punishable by a fine up to $250.00 per occasion, with each night of noise a separate offense. Civil summonses do not apply to railroad, licensed mining, or industrial-property noise.

Barking Dogs

Chesapeake bans keeping an animal that howls, barks, meows, or squawks for more than 10 minutes in any 30-minute stretch between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., if the noise carries 50 feet or across a property line, under Sec. 26-126.

Key details: Nighttime threshold: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.. Barking duration limit: 10 min. of any 30-min. period. Audibility distance: 50 feet or across property line. First-offense penalty: $250.00 civil. Repeat-offense penalty: $500.00 civil.

A first violation of Sec. 26-126 is a $250.00 civil penalty under Sec. 26-131(a), and $500.00 for a repeat offense arising from the same facts, or the city may charge a class 4 misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $250.00 per occasion, with each night a separate offense. Sec. 26-131(c) also preserves a separate public-nuisance remedy under chapter 10.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

Loudspeakers, stereos, and other amplified sound in Chesapeake go quiet at 10:00 p.m. on weeknights and stay that way until 6:30 the next morning, with a later Sunday cutoff of 8:00 a.m. Chesapeake City Code Sec. 26-124 bans the noise if it carries across a property line, through a shared wall, or 50 feet from the source.

Key details: Weeknight curfew: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.. Weekend curfew: 10:00 p.m. Sat. to 8:00 a.m. Sun.. Audible threshold: Property line, shared wall, or 50 ft. Daytime residential limit: 55 dBA (Sec. 26-130 Table 1). Civil penalty: $250 first offense, $500 repeat.

A first violation of the amplified sound curfew is a civil infraction carrying a $250.00 penalty, rising to $500.00 for each later offense arising from the same facts, under Sec. 26-131(a). The city can instead pursue it as a class 4 misdemeanor with a fine up to $250.00 per occurrence, and every separate occasion counts as its own offense. Noise from railroads, permitted mining operations, and industrial-property business operations is exempt from the civil summons process.

Construction Hours

Construction, demolition, alteration, repair, or excavation noise in Chesapeake is barred overnight: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on weeknights and 10:00 p.m. Saturday to 8:00 a.m. Sunday, whenever the sound carries across a property line, through a shared wall, or 50 feet from the site. Chesapeake City Code Sec. 26-124(3) sets the cutoff.

Key details: Weeknight curfew: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.. Weekend curfew: 10:00 p.m. Sat. to 8:00 a.m. Sun.. Audible threshold: Property line, shared wall, or 50 ft. Emergency work: Storm/safety repairs exempt. Civil penalty: $250 first offense, $500 repeat.

A first offense against the construction noise curfew is a civil infraction with a $250.00 penalty, doubling to $500.00 for each later offense arising from the same facts, under Sec. 26-131(a). The city can pursue repeat or flagrant violators criminally instead, as a class 4 misdemeanor punishable by up to $250.00 per occurrence, with each night of noncompliance charged as a separate offense. Noise generated by permitted industrial-property business operations is excluded from the civil summons track.

Vehicle Noise

Vehicle noise in Chesapeake includes restrictions on modified exhaust, squealing tires, and loud car audio. Sound systems audible at 50 feet can be cited under City Code Chapter 38. State law (VA 46.2-1049) requires all vehicles to have properly maintained mufflers.

Key details: Audio Standard: 50 ft plainly audible. Muffler Law: VA 46.2-1049. Reckless: VA 46.2-862. Jake Brakes: Discouraged in residential. Enforcement: Chesapeake PD traffic.

Loud audio: $100-$250 fine. Illegal exhaust: $100 plus potential equipment inspection requirement. Reckless driving (racing/burnouts): Class 1 misdemeanor, up to 12 months jail and $2,500 fine.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Chesapeake actively enforces its vehicle noise requirements.

The Bottom Line

Chesapeake's noise ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Chesapeake is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Chesapeake can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.