Noise Ordinances in New Castle County, DE (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in New Castle County, Delaware.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Radios, TVs, stereos and similar sound devices can't be run loud enough to carry across a property line or through shared walls between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. under the County's noise-control ordinance.
New Castle County Nighttime Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008.B.2.b
Operating any such device, as listed in Subsection B.2.b.i between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and the following 8:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be: (a) Plainly audible through partitions common to two (2) parties within a building; or (b) Across real property boundaries as to create a noise disturbance.
Construction Hours
New Castle County bars construction equipment noise between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, 10 p.m. Friday/Saturday to 9 a.m. Saturday/Sunday, and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. around legal holidays.
New Castle County Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008.B.2.f
f.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:...iii.Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day on weekdays and between 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evening and 9:00 a.m. on Saturday a...
Barking Dogs
New Castle County can declare a chronically barking dog a 'public nuisance animal'; animal control may impound it, and an owner who refuses to surrender it commits a separate offense under the county's penalty schedule.
New Castle County Barking Dog Nuisance Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 4.02.001
Public nuisance animal means any animal or group of animals which: ... 5.Is found to be in violation of Section 22.02.007 because of the noise or noise disturbance it creates, as those terms are defined by Section 22.02.007.
Leaf Blower Rules
New Castle County bars outdoor power equipment, including leaf blowers and garden tools, from creating noise disturbances in residential districts between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., under the county noise control ordinance.
New Castle County Leaf Blower Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008(B)(2)(j)
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 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day, in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
New Castle County outlaws loudspeakers, musical instruments, and other amplified sound between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. if the music is plainly audible across a property line, and bans any noise exceeding ambient levels by 10 dBA at any hour.
New Castle County Outdoor Amplified Music Limits
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008(B)(2)(b)
Operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, speaker or loudspeaker or other device for the production or reproduction of sound in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance. ... Operating any such device ... between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and the following 8:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be ... (b) Across real pr...
Aircraft Noise
New Castle County's noise ordinance covers aircraft in one line: aircraft and railroads only have to comply with existing federal and state noise restrictions. The County sets no separate decibel limit, curfew, or flight-path rule of its own for aircraft.
New Castle County Aircraft Noise Rule
Few RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008(B)(2)(a)(iii)
All aircraft and railroads operating within the County shall comply with all applicable federal and State noise restrictions.
Decibel Limits
New Castle County caps noise from stationary sources like industrial and commercial equipment at 10 dBA above ambient levels, with a tighter 5 dBA limit for pure tones or repetitive impulsive sounds, measured at the complaining property line.
New Castle County Industrial Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008(E)(1)-(2)
A noise which exceeds the ambient noise level by ten (10) dBA, at the point of complaint origination within the receiving property, except as otherwise regulated in this Section... Any stationary source of sound which emits a pure tone, cyclically varying sound or repetitive impulsive sound shall be considered a noise disturbance if the sound exceeds the ambient noise level by five (5) dBA.
Vehicle Noise
New Castle County bans car stereos audible 50 feet or more from the vehicle and bans revving, racing, or repairing motor vehicles in residential areas between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., enforced as a misdemeanor by County Police in unincorporated territory.
New Castle County Vehicle Stereo & Engine Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County Code § 22.02.008(B)(2)(a), (c)
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 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. ... in such a manner that would create a noise disturbance. ... It shall be unlawful for any vehicle operator ... to permit the operation of any radio, tape player, ... loudspeaker, compact disc player or other similar device in...
Noise Ordinances by City in New Castle County
1 cities in New Castle County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All New Castle County ordinances
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