Noise Ordinances in High Point, NC

If you live in High Point or are thinking about moving there, noise ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. High Point has 4 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of noise ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Barking Dogs

High Point treats a barking dog or noisy bird as an unlawful "disturbing" noise if it causes frequent or long continued noise that disturbs a neighbor's comfort and repose, under Code of Ordinances § 12-1-10(b)(3). The keeping of the animal itself is the violation, not just a single bark, and officers weigh the same factors used for any noise complaint: time of day, recurrence, and proximity to homes.

Key details: Rule: frequent or long continued barking is unlawful. Trigger: repeated or continuous noise, not one bark. Factors weighed: time, proximity, recurrence, volume, zoning. First offense fine: $200 civil penalty. Repeat offense fine: up to $500.

A first substantiated barking-dog complaint carries a $200 civil penalty under § 12-1-10(c)(1), rising to $400 for a second violation within a year and $500 for each one after that. A penalty left unpaid for 10 days adds a $50 delinquency charge and can be pursued as a civil debt; the city may also charge the violation as a misdemeanor, and each day the disturbance continues counts as its own offense.

Construction Hours

High Point bars construction noise, building erection, excavation, demolition, alteration or repair, between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. in residential districts and between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. everywhere else, under Code of Ordinances § 12-1-10(b)(8). A city manager permit can authorize work outside those hours, and government contracts requiring off-hours work are exempted from the whole noise ordinance under subsection (a).

Key details: Residential quiet hours: 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., no construction. Non-residential quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Exception: city manager permit for off-hours work. Also exempt: government-contract work requiring set hours. First offense fine: $200 civil penalty.

Running construction outside the lawful hours without a city manager permit draws a $200 civil citation for a first violation under § 12-1-10(c), $400 for a second within a year, and $500 for each one after that. A penalty unpaid after 10 days adds a $50 delinquency charge and may be pursued as a civil debt; the city can also prosecute the violation as a misdemeanor, and each day of after-hours work is its own offense.

Quiet Hours

Playing a radio, TV, stereo or instrument audible 30 feet or more from a dwelling's property line, especially between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., violates High Point's noise ordinance.

Key details: Flagged hours: 11 p.m.-7 a.m. (non-exclusive). Distance trigger: audible 30+ ft from property line. First penalty: $200 civil fine. Applies to: dwellings, hotel/motel rooms.

Loud music or TV audible 30 feet or more from your property line, especially overnight, draws a $200 civil citation for a first offense under § 12-1-10(b)(2), escalating on repeat.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

High Point caps amplified sound from commercial and entertainment venues at audible-beyond-30-feet between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., and limits free-speech loudspeakers citywide to a 150-foot carry, under Code of Ordinances § 12-1-10(b)(15). The rule sits inside the city's broader "unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise" ordinance, which lets officers weigh time of day, zoning, and duration before citing a violator, with civil penalties escalating for repeat offenders.

Key details: Commercial venue limit: audible past 30 ft barred 2-7 a.m.. Free-speech loudspeaker cap: 150 feet citywide. First offense fine: $200 civil penalty. Repeat offense fine: up to $500. Late payment: +$50 delinquency after 10 days.

A first amplified-noise citation costs $200, a second within a year jumps to $400, and every violation after that within the same year is $500, under § 12-1-10(c)(1). Penalties unpaid after 10 days add a $50 delinquency charge and can be pursued as a civil debt; the city may instead, or additionally, charge the offense as a misdemeanor, and each day of continuing violation is a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

High Point'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 High Point is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from High Point's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.