10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Hamilton County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
In Chattanooga, playing a radio, phonograph or musical instrument, or yelling and shouting on the street, is prohibited between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when it disturbs the quiet of nearby residents. Amplified sound at a home cannot exceed 50 dB(A) between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-68(a)(2)
The playing of any radio, phonograph or any musical instrument in such a manner or with such volume, particularly during the hours between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any hospital or in any dwelling, hotel or other type of residence.
Chattanooga bars construction, demolition, alteration, repair and street excavation in any residential district except between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Work outside those hours needs a building-inspector permit granted only for urgent public-health or safety necessity.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-68(a)(8)
The erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building in any residential district or section, and the excavation of streets in any residential district or section, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., except in cases of urgent necessity in the interest of the public health and safety.
Keeping a dog that disturbs residents with frequent or long, continued noise is unlawful in Chattanooga. The code defines this as barking averaging 10 or more barks per minute over 5 minutes, audible from 100 feet or more away.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-68(a)(4)
"Frequent or long, continued noise" shall include, but shall not be limited to, barking at an average rate of ten (10) or more barks per minute over a period of five (5) minutes which can be heard from a distance of one hundred (100) feet or more.
Chattanooga prohibits operating lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed-eaters, chain saws or other domestic tools outdoors between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Daytime use is allowed. There is no separate decibel limit for these tools.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-68(a)(12)
Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, etc. Operate lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed-eaters, chain saws or other domestic tools out-of-doors between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Chattanooga caps amplified sound equipment at 55 dB(A) between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. and 50 dB(A) between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., measured at the nearest residential property line, unless a permit from the chief building official is obtained.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-69(a)(1)
Operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds registering fifty-five (55) dB(A) between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. or fifty (50) dB(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., as measured anywhere within the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property, hospital, school in session or nursing home.
Neither Hamilton County nor Chattanooga sets aircraft noise limits. Aircraft operations and noise are regulated by the FAA under federal law, which preempts local rules. Noise abatement at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) is handled by the airport authority under FAA programs.
Chattanooga has no separate industrial-zone decibel table; industrial noise is governed by the general prohibition on unreasonably loud noise plus specific bans on unmuffled exhausts, steam whistles, loud loading, and mechanical refuse loaders operating 9 p.m.–7 a.m. near homes.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-68(a)(11)
Refuse collection. Operate a mechanical loader for refuse collection between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. within or adjacent to any residential zone.
Chattanooga measures noise on the A-weighting scale with a standard sound-level meter. Core residential amplified caps are 55 dB(A) by day and 50 dB(A) at night; vehicle limits run 80–90 dB(A); permitted events may not exceed 70 dB(A) at a home.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-67(c)(4)
Measurements shall be made only when the A-weighted ambient sound level, including wind effects and all sources other than the noise source being measured, is at least ten (10) dB(A) lower than the sound level of the noise source being measured.
Outdoor amplified music that is plainly audible 100+ feet away on someone else's residential-zone property is prohibited in Chattanooga. The Downtown Amplified Music District allows up to 80 dB(A) midday under an AMD permit, dropping to 65 dB(A) late night.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-68(a)(14)
No person shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system so that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of one hundred (100) or more feet and on someone else's property located in a Residential Zone.
Chattanooga sets dB(A) sound-level caps by vehicle type and speed zone: in 35 mph-or-less zones, motorcycles are limited to 82 dB(A) and cars under 10,000 lbs to 80 dB(A). Car stereos audible 50+ feet away are also prohibited.
Chattanooga City Code § 25-72
Speed Limit Zone Thirty-Five (35) Miles Per Hour or Less: (a) Motorcycles and motor driven cycles: 82 dB(A); (b) Vehicles with gross weight over ten thousand (10,000) pounds or over: 86 dB(A); (c) Vehicles with gross weight under ten thousand (10,000) pounds: 80 dB(A).
1 cities in Hamilton County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Hamilton County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
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