Noise Ordinances in Rutherford County, TN (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Rutherford County's Zoning Ordinance doesn't set a fixed construction-hours window for the unincorporated area; instead Section 1106 B.2.d exempts construction equipment from the county's decibel limits only during daylight hours. Once daylight ends, construction noise falls back under the Section 1106 B.2.c table and must stay under 55 to 75 dBA depending on the neighboring zoning.
Construction Noise Hours in Rutherford County
Some RestrictionsRutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1106 B.2.d
d. Exemptions The standards set forth in this section shall not apply to emergency warning devices, lawn care equipment used during daylight hours and equipment used in construction during daylight hours.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Rutherford County's Zoning Ordinance sets a hard curfew on amplified sound at any outdoor performance held under a temporary use permit: Section 1101 M.3 bars amplified music or plays past 10:00 PM in commercial, industrial, residential or institutional districts alike. Outside a permitted event, Section 1106 B.1 separately forbids any objectionable noise reaching adjoining property at all.
Amplified Sound Curfew in Rutherford County, TN
Some RestrictionsRutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1101 M.3
a. A temporary use permit may be issued for outdoor plays or musical performances in any commercial or industrial district as a part of an existing business or as a free-standing use provided that adequate parking and traffic circulation is available and any existing business operations will not be disrupted, and provided further, that in the event amplified sound systems are used, such sound s...
Decibel Limits
In unincorporated Rutherford County, Zoning Ordinance Section 1106 caps sound at the property line under a Table of Maximum Permitted Sound Levels keyed to the adjacent land use and time of day. Noise reaching a residential-adjacent lot cannot top 60 dBA between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. or 55 dBA overnight; industrial-adjacent noise is capped at 75 dBA around the clock.
Rutherford County TN Noise Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsRutherford County Zoning Ordinance § 1106 B.2.c
The maximum permitted sound pressure levels in decibels across zone lot lines and district boundaries shall be in accordance with the following table. This table shall be used to determine the maximum noise level, measured in A-weighted decibels, which shall be permitted at the property line of the closest use in each of the following categories. TABLE OF MAXIMUM PERMITTED SOUND LEVELS Adjacen...
Noise Ordinances by City in Rutherford County
1 cities in Rutherford County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Rutherford County ordinances
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Rutherford County Ordinance Hub →