Noise Ordinances in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
6 verified noise ordinances for Portsmouth, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Portsmouth's quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in residential zones, when sound measured at 55 dBA or higher at the property line is unlawful under City Code § 24-255(d)(1). The daytime limit is looser at 65 dBA, and commercial zones are capped at 75 dBA around the clock.
Portsmouth Nighttime Noise Curfew Hours
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 24-255(d)(1)-(3)
(d)Offenses requiring scientific measurement of sound levels. The following sound levels shall be deemed to be excessive sound in violation of this section, when measured outside the real property line of the sound source. The zone shall be determined by where the sound is measured, not where it is generated.(1)Residential zones; night. In a residential zone between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., so...
Construction Hours
Construction equipment gets a break from Portsmouth's noise ordinance only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Outside that window, City Code § 24-255(f)(1) withdraws the exemption, meaning a jobsite running after 8:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m. must comply with the ordinance's dBA limits and per se rules like any other sound source.
Portsmouth Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 24-255(f)(1)
(f)Exceptions. This section shall not apply to:(1)The operation of construction devices used in construction activities between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.(2)The operation of lawn care maintenance equipment such as power mowers, chain saws, and string trimmers, and vehicles for the removal of debris, garbage or refuse with properly working mufflers between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.(3)The repair, main...
Barking Dogs
A barking dog becomes a code violation in Portsmouth once a neighbor has asked the owner to stop and the animal keeps disturbing them at home. City Code § 24-255(c)(3) makes it a per se excessive-sound offense to allow an animal to make noise that 'unreasonably and repeatedly disturbs another person in his or her residence after being requested to stop.'
Portsmouth Barking Dog Noise Ordinance
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 24-255(c)(3)
(c)Per se offenses. The following activities are deemed to comprise creating excessive sound in violation of this section, without any requirement of scientific measurement of sound levels:...(3)A person allowing an animal to make sound that unreasonably and repeatedly disturbs another person in his or her residence after being requested to stop.
Aircraft Noise
Portsmouth's excessive-sound ordinance, Code of Ordinances Sec. 24-255, carves out a specific exemption for aircraft. Subsection (f)(8) states the section's decibel limits and per se violations do not apply to sound generated by aircraft, so overflight and airport-related noise is not enforceable under the city's general noise law.
Portsmouth Exempts Aircraft From Noise Code
Few RestrictionsPortsmouth, VA Code of Ordinances Sec. 24-255(f)(8)
(f)Exceptions. This section shall not apply to:...(8)Sound generated by boats or ships in navigable waterways, or by aircraft.
Decibel Limits
Portsmouth caps measurable sound at the source's property line: 55 dBA in residential zones overnight (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.), 65 dBA in residential zones by day, and 75 dBA in commercial zones at any time. A first violation is a class 4 misdemeanor; a second within 12 months steps up to a class 3 misdemeanor.
Portsmouth Noise Decibel Limits by Zone
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 24-255(d), (g)
(d)Offenses requiring scientific measurement of sound levels. The following sound levels shall be deemed to be excessive sound in violation of this section, when measured outside the real property line of the sound source. The zone shall be determined by where the sound is measured, not where it is generated.(1)Residential zones; night. In a residential zone between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., so...
Vehicle Noise
Portsmouth treats certain vehicle sounds as automatic noise violations with no meter needed: an unnecessary car horn, a car stereo loud enough to intrude on another vehicle, and exhaust noise from a vehicle lacking a code-compliant muffler. Each is a class 4 misdemeanor on a first offense, stepping up to a class 3 misdemeanor within 12 months of a repeat.
Portsmouth Vehicle Stereo and Muffler Noise Ban
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 24-255(c)
(c)Per se offenses. The following activities are deemed to comprise creating excessive sound in violation of this section, without any requirement of scientific measurement of sound levels:(1)A person blowing a car horn when it is not reasonably necessary to do so for legitimate safety or emergency purposes.(2)A person operating a sound system in a motor vehicle at a sound level that, when hear...