Noise Ordinances in Hanover County, VA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Hanover County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Hanover County's noise ordinance bars operating construction, repair, alteration or demolition equipment outdoors between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Section 16-8(1), and a second rule bars audible construction or building-maintenance noise in specific residential zoning districts during the narrower 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. window.
Hanover County Restricts Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 16-8(1)
(1)Operating or causing to be operated any equipment used in construction, repair, alteration or demolition work on buildings, structures, streets, alleys, drainage or public utility systems or parts thereof, and appurtenances thereto in the outdoors between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day, except as provided in section 16-4.
Barking Dogs
Hanover County's noise ordinance treats an animal's howling, barking, whining, meowing or squawking as a noise disturbance if it is plainly audible across a property line and continues at least 15 minutes between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or at least 10 minutes overnight, under Section 16-8(8).
Hanover County Bars Excessive Barking Dog Noise
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 16-8(8)
(8)Allowing an animal to create howling, barking, whining, meowing, squawking or other such noises which are plainly audible across a property boundary or through partitions common to two (2) residences within a building and that take place continuously or repeatedly (i) during a period of at least fifteen (15) minutes in duration between 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. or (ii) during a period of at...
Leaf Blower Rules
Hanover County's noise ordinance bars noise from leaf removal, lawn care, gardening, tree work or landscaping that carries across a property line in the RS, R-1 through R-5 and RM residential zoning districts between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., under Section 16-8(12).
Hanover County Limits Leaf-Blowing and Lawn Noise
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 16-8(12)
(12)Creating noise which is plainly audible across a property boundary on property in the RS, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5 or RM zoning districts between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in connection with construction or building maintenance, lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree maintenance or removal, or any landscaping, lawn or timbering activities.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Hanover County bans running a radio, musical instrument, TV or phonograph loud enough to carry across a property line, or through a shared apartment wall, between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Section 16-8(6) of the county code makes the nighttime hours, not a decibel meter, the trigger for a citation.
Amplified Sound Time Limits in Hanover County
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 16-8(6)
(6)Operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph or any other device for the production of sound, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following day, in such a manner as to be plainly audible across property boundaries or through partitions common to two (2) residences within a building.
Decibel Limits
Hanover County caps noise crossing onto another property at set decibel levels tied to the receiving property's zoning district: 57/52 dB(A) day/night in agricultural and residential zones, 67/62 in commercial zones, and 77 around the clock in industrial zones, under section 16-10 of the county code.
Zoning District Noise Limits in Hanover County
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 16-10
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate, or permit to be operated, any noise source in such a manner that the noise source emits a sound pressure level which exceeds the limits set forth below when measured on property other than that on which the noise source is located. ... Land Use Designation Where Noise is Measured Maximum Lav dB(A) 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. Agricult...
Vehicle Noise
Hanover County bans blasting a car stereo audible 50 feet away, honking a horn except as a warning, and running a vehicle engine with a defective muffler. Idling any motor vehicle past five continuous minutes, or fifteen minutes total in a day, without exhaust equipment meeting Virginia Title 46.2 muffler standards is also a noise violation under County Code Chapter 16.
Vehicle Noise Rules in Hanover County, VA
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 16-8(5), (7), (10)-(11)
(5)Sounding the horn or warning device of a vehicle, except when necessary as a warning during the operation of the vehicle. ... (7)Operating or permitting the operation of any radio, tape player, compact disc player or other device for the production of sound on a public right-of-way or in a public place in such a way that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet from such...
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