Franklin's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Franklin, Tennessee, 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.

Construction Hours

Franklin limits permitted construction activity to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., under Sec. 12-1301, with no construction work allowed on Sundays or city holidays. The rule covers grading, concrete work, power tools, and even workers present more than 15 minutes outside those hours, with limited exemptions and fines for violators.

Key details: Weekday hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Mon-Fri. Saturday hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.. Sunday/holidays: No permitted construction activity. Buffer exemption: 1,000+ ft from occupied residence. After-hours approval: City administrator, case by case.

Any violation is punishable by a fine set in Appendix A, Comprehensive Fees and Penalties, and violators may be cited to Franklin Municipal Court or another court with jurisdiction. Repeat violators can be issued a stop-work order lasting a minimum of five business days, and the more restrictive rule controls if this chapter conflicts with the adopted building or property maintenance codes.

Vehicle Noise

Franklin, Tennessee bans a vehicle exhaust or muffler that lets loud or explosive noise escape into the open air. Franklin Municipal Code § 11-404(3)(f) makes defective mufflers a per-se noise violation, and the same subsection separately bans unnecessary horn use, driving a vehicle so out of repair it rattles or grinds loudly, and running a car stereo audible more than 50 feet away.

Key details: Governing section: Franklin Municipal Code § 11-404(3)(f). Prohibited: Exhaust discharged without an effective muffler. Related clause: § 11-404(3)(g): defective/rattling vehicle noise. Related clause: § 11-404(3)(p): car audio audible past 50 ft. Penalty: $50 misdemeanor fine per day (§ 11-407).

A defective-muffler or exhaust-noise violation under § 11-404(3)(f) is a misdemeanor punishable by a $50.00 fine under § 11-407, with each day the vehicle is operated with the noisy exhaust treated as a separate offense; the same $50 fine and daily-offense structure applies to the related horn, defective-vehicle, and car-audio clauses in the same subsection.

Aircraft Noise

Franklin's noise ordinance exempts aircraft, including helicopters, operated under federal air regulations and air traffic control instruction: the city does not enforce local noise limits against lawful flights.

Key details: Aircraft status: Exempt from local noise code. Governing authority: Federal air regulations control. Emergency flights: Also exempt, § 11-405(d). Local enforcement: None for lawful flights.

None: aircraft and helicopter noise is exempt from Franklin's noise ordinance by its own terms; the municipal noise code does not apply to lawful, FAA-regulated flight operations.

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

Quiet Hours

Franklin, Tennessee enforces a nightly noise curfew by zoning district: in residential zones, Franklin Municipal Code § 11-403(1) bars any sound plainly audible beyond the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Commercial, industrial, and mixed-use areas get their own hours and a 100-foot measuring line under the same section.

Key details: Governing section: Franklin Municipal Code § 11-403(1). Residential curfew: 10 p.m.-7 a.m. Sun-Thu. Weekend curfew: 11 p.m.-7 a.m. Fri-Sat. Test: Sound plainly audible beyond property line. Commercial/industrial rule: Audible at 100 ft, same hours (§ 11-403(2)).

Breaching the residential quiet-hours standard is a misdemeanor under § 11-407, fined $50.00, with each night of violation charged as a separate offense; the city or a neighbor may additionally pursue an injunction under § 11-408 against a chronic late-night noise source, and a property owner facing repeated hardship may seek temporary relief through the § 11-406 special-permit process.

Barking Dogs

Franklin, Tennessee treats a barking dog as a nuisance-noise violation, not a separate 'barking dog' law: Franklin Municipal Code § 11-404(3)(d) bars keeping any animal or bird whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs the comfort or repose of neighbors. It sits inside the city's broader unnecessary-noise standard, so an officer weighs proximity to bedrooms, time of day, and duration before citing an owner, who then faces a $50 misdemeanor fine per day.

Key details: Governing section: Franklin Municipal Code § 11-404(3)(d). Standard: Frequent/long-continued noise disturbing neighbors. No fixed threshold: Judged by § 11-404(2) factors, not decibels. Penalty: $50 misdemeanor fine per day (§ 11-407). Civil remedy: Injunction available under § 11-408.

A violation of § 11-404 is a misdemeanor under § 11-407, punishable by a $50.00 fine, with each day the barking continues or is permitted to continue charged as a separate offense, so an uncorrected complaint can generate a new $50 citation every 24 hours until the dog owner abates the noise.

Leaf Blower Rules

Franklin exempts leaf blowers and other domestic power equipment from its noise ordinance only between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.; run one outside that window and the general noise rules kick in.

Key details: Exempt hours: 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. daily. Covered equipment: Mowers, blowers, trimmers, saws. Outside window: General noise rule applies. Fine: $50 per day, § 11-407.

Running a leaf blower or similar equipment outside 7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. can be cited as unnecessary noise, a misdemeanor punishable by a $50 fine per § 11-407, per day of violation.

Decibel Limits

In Franklin's commercial and industrial zoning districts, amplified sound plainly audible 100 feet from the property boundary is barred from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekends.

Key details: Zones covered: commercial and industrial districts. Measurement point: 100 ft from property boundary. Weeknight curfew: 10 p.m.-7 a.m. Sun-Thu. Weekend curfew: 11 p.m.-7 a.m. Fri-Sat.

A misdemeanor under FMC § 11-407: a $50.00 fine, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

In Franklin, Tennessee commercial and industrial zones, amplified sound audible 100 feet beyond the source property's boundary is banned nightly from 10 p.m. (11 p.m. weekends) until 7 a.m., covering outdoor live music and PA systems.

Key details: Curfew: 10 p.m. Sun-Thu, 11 p.m. Fri-Sat. Distance test: audible 100 ft from boundary. Zones covered: GO, NC, CC, GC, CI, LI, HI. Exemption: special event permit, sec. 11-406. Fine: $50 per day, sec. 11-407.

Violating the noise chapter is a misdemeanor carrying a $50 fine per Franklin Municipal Code section 11-407; each day the amplified sound continues past curfew is a separate offense, and the city may also seek a court injunction under section 11-408.

The Bottom Line

Franklin'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 Franklin is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Franklin 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.