Noise Ordinances in Durham County, NC (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Durham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Durham County bans any 'unreasonably loud and disturbing noise' under Code Sec. 14-26, a general nuisance standard rather than a fixed decibel level or curfew hour. Enforcement weighs time of day, proximity to homes, duration, volume, and electronic amplification. Farming operations are fully exempt under Sec. 14-27. Violators face a Class 3 misdemeanor and up to a $500 fine per Sec. 1-6.
Durham County's Unreasonably Loud Noise Ban
Some RestrictionsDurham County Code § 14-26
Subject to the provisions of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to make, permit, continue, or cause to be made or to create any unreasonably loud and disturbing noise in the county. For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:(1)Unreasonably loud: Noise which is substantially incompatible with the time and location where created to the extent th...
Construction Hours
Durham County bars erecting, demolishing, altering or repairing a building in a residential or business district outside 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays under Sec. 6-2. Work is barred entirely on Sundays, and the county manager can permit off-hours work only for emergencies or continuous-operation projects.
Durham County Construction Hours Limit
Some RestrictionsDurham County Code § 6-2
(a)The erection (including site excavation and clearing), demolition, alteration or repair of any building in a residential or business district other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays is prohibited. The term "weekdays", when used in this paragraph, means any day except Sunday.(b)In cases in which the work is required by an emergency, or by the nature of the particul...
Barking Dogs
Durham County treats a barking, roaming or otherwise disruptive animal as a nuisance under Sec. 4-136, which bars any animal from committing the acts listed in the Sec. 4-13 nuisance definition. The code's own cross-reference sends barking-dog complaints to this animal-nuisance article rather than to the county noise ordinance in Chapter 14.
Durham County Barking Dog Nuisance Law
Some RestrictionsDurham County Code § 4-13; § 4-136
Nuisance means any act of an animal that disturbs the rights of, threatens the safety of, or damages the person or property of, a member of the general public or interferes with the ordinary use and enjoyment of private or public property. The following is a non-exclusive list of actions which shall be evidence of a nuisance:(1)Gets into or turns over garbage containers.(2)Walks on and/or sleep...
Noise Ordinances by City in Durham County
1 cities in Durham County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Durham County ordinances
See every category we cover for Durham County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Durham County Ordinance Hub →