Noise Ordinances in Kent County, DE (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Kent County, Delaware.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Kent County bans yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or otherwise creating a racket on public streets between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under § 161-2B(9), one of several activity-specific overnight curfews in Chapter 161. The same window also limits construction, loading, power tools and vehicle repair noise, backed by a rising fine schedule for repeat offenses.
Kent County 11 PM to 7 AM Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(9)
Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, etc. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or generally creating a racket on public streets between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day so as to be plainly audible at the nearest property line or to a bystander or create a noise disturbance.
Construction Hours
Kent County bars noisy construction, repair or demolition equipment between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. under its general noise ordinance. The rule also forbids construction noise from equipment with tampered sound-control devices or work that violates federal EPA noise regulations. It covers commercial building, street and alley work anywhere in the unincorporated county.
Kent County Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(5)
Construction noise. Operating or causing to be operated any equipment used in commercial construction, repair, alteration or demolition work on buildings, structures, streets, alleys or appurtenances thereto, in the following manner: (a) With sound control devices which have been tampered with. (b) In violation of any regulation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. (c) Between ...
Barking Dogs
Kent County treats a barking or howling animal as an illegal noise disturbance once it barks continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for a half hour. The Chapter 161 noise ordinance covers dogs, birds and other animals in the unincorporated county, but exempts livestock and poultry raised as part of an active farm operation. Violators face escalating fines enforced by local police.
Kent County Barking Dog Noise Ordinance
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(3)
Animals. Owning, possessing, harboring or controlling any animal or bird which causes a noise disturbance by barking, baying, crying, squawking or by making any other noise continuously or incessantly for a period of 10 minutes or makes such noises intermittently for 1/2 hour or more; provided, however, that at the time the animal or bird is making such noise no person is trespassing or threate...
Leaf Blower Rules
Kent County does not single out leaf blowers by name, but its noise ordinance bars power saws, sanders, drills, grinders and 'garden equipment or tools of a similar nature' outdoors in residential districts between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Running a gas or electric blower loud enough to create a noise disturbance in that window violates § 161-2B(10).
Kent County Garden Power Equipment Hours
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(10)
Power equipment. Operating or permitting to be operated any power saw, sander, drill, grinder, garden equipment or tools of a similar nature, outdoors in residential districts between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day, in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Kent County bars radios, TVs, phonographs, musical instruments and speakers from causing a noise disturbance, and specifically bans running them between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (9:00 p.m. in RS1, RS5, RMH and RM residential zones) if plainly audible across a property line, 50 feet from a parked vehicle, or more than once a week, under § 161-2B(2).
Kent County Amplified Sound and Stereo Curfew
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(2)
(2) Radios, television sets, phonographs and similar devices: (a) Operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument(s), television, phonographs, drum, speaker or other device for the production or reproduction of sound in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance. (b) Operating any such device, as listed in Subsection B(2)(a) above, between the hour...
Aircraft Noise
Kent County does not set its own aircraft decibel limits: § 161-2B(1)(c) requires all aircraft and railroads operating in the county to comply with applicable federal and state noise regulations, and § 161-4A(3) exempts aircraft flying to and from Dover Air Force Base from the county's noise rules altogether.
Kent County Aircraft Noise: State/Federal Rule
Few RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(1)(c)
Aircraft and railroad noise limits. All aircraft and railroads operating within Kent County shall comply with all applicable federal and state noise regulations.
Decibel Limits
Kent County sets numeric noise limits keyed to ambient sound rather than a flat decibel cap. A sound that exceeds the ambient noise level by 10 dBA at the complaint point is a violation countywide, and the threshold tightens to just five dBA above ambient in the county's RS1, RS5, RMH and RM residential zoning districts.
Kent County Decibel Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-5
Unless a person has been granted a special waiver, in accordance with the provisions of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to create a noise disturbance within the unincorporated area of Kent County. Any one or combination of the following shall constitute noise disturbances: A. Exceeds ambient noise level by 10 dBA. A noise which exceeds the ambient noise level by 10 dBA, at the...
Vehicle Noise
Kent County bars repairing, rebuilding, testing, racing or 'gunning' a motor vehicle in a residential district between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in a way that creates a noise disturbance, under § 161-2B(1)(a). Vehicles operating in the county must also meet Delaware's own vehicle-noise regulations, referenced directly in the ordinance.
Kent County Motor Vehicle Repair Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 161-2B(1)(a)-(b)
Motor vehicles, horns and motor vehicle signaling devices: It shall be unlawful for any person within any residential district to repair, rebuild, test, race or gun any motor vehicle between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day in such a manner that would create a noise disturbance. All vehicles operating within the boundaries of Kent County must comply with the applicable...
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