10 rules for unincorporated Seminole County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Seminole County's noise ordinance (Chapter 165) sets 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. as the protected nighttime window in residential zones for lawn equipment, power tools, loading, and vehicle repair. A general noise-disturbance ban applies at all hours countywide.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.21
No person or their officers or agents shall make, maintain or cause to be made or maintained a noise disturbance unless the noise is exempted in some manner under this Chapter.
Seminole County's noise ordinance does not set fixed construction start/stop times. Instead, Sec. 165.51(h) exempts 'construction activities proceeding under a valid governmental permit' from Chapter 165 entirely, so permitted job sites are not bound by the 11 p.m.-7 a.m. residential limits.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.51(h)
The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the sounds from the following sources or causes: ... (h) For construction activities proceeding under a valid governmental permit.
Chapter 165 does not name barking dogs specifically, but the general prohibition in Sec. 165.21 bars any 'noise disturbance,' which covers persistent barking. Seminole County Animal Services (Chapter 20) also handles animal-noise complaints in the unincorporated county.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.2(p)
Noise disturbance: Sound which ... unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment of life, quiet, comfort or outdoor recreation of an individual of ordinary sensitivity and habits.
Under Sec. 165.23, operating lawn maintenance equipment such as mowers, edgers, trimmers, and power-driven hedge shears in a residential zone (or within 500 feet) is prohibited between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Leaf blowers fall within this lawn-equipment category.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.23
The operation of lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers and power-driven hedge shears in a residential zone or within 500 feet thereof is prohibited between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Seminole County Sec. 165.41 makes it unlawful to operate any sound-producing device that creates a noise disturbance, and Sec. 165.42 applies the same rule to indoor amplifiers. There is no fixed decibel number; music must simply not become an unreasonable disturbance.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.41
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated a sound-producing device which produces a sound level which creates a noise disturbance.
Seminole County does not regulate aircraft noise. Sec. 165.51(b) exempts 'aircraft and airport activity conducted in accordance with federal laws and regulations' from Chapter 165, because aviation noise is preempted by the FAA under federal law.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.51(b)
The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the sounds from the following sources or causes: ... (b) Aircraft and airport activity conducted in accordance with federal laws and regulations.
Every use in Seminole County must operate within maximum noise performance standards measured at the property line (Land Development Code Sec. 30.1302), and objectionable intermittent, shrill, or high-frequency noises must be muffled so they don't become a nuisance to adjacent uses.
Seminole County Land Development Code Sec. 30.1302
Objectionable noises due to intermittence, heat, frequency, or shrillness shall be so muffled or eliminated so as not to become a nuisance to adjacent uses.
Seminole County's Land Development Code (Sec. 30.1302) sets maximum sound levels measured at the property line, using octave-band decibel limits that fall from 68 dB at 31.5 Hz to 17 dB at 8,000 Hz along a residential boundary, and higher limits along commercial/industrial boundaries.
Seminole County Land Development Code Sec. 30.1302
Sound levels may be measured at any point on the property line on which the use is located with a sound-level meter and associated octave-band filter manufactured according to standards prescribed by The American Standards Association.
Sec. 165.43 requires all sound from an outdoor sound amplification device to be limited so it does not create a noise disturbance, and it bars operating outdoor amplification for commercial purposes between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in any zone.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.43(b)
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or use any outdoor sound amplification device for commercial purposes between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in any zone.
Seminole County bars vehicle noise several ways: Sec. 165.27 prohibits intentional or repeated tire screeching; Sec. 165.28 bars operating or testing defective/loud vehicles between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.; and Sec. 165.30 outlaws unnecessary horn or siren use.
Seminole County Code Sec. 165.27
The intentional or repeated creation of a noise disturbance through the acceleration, turning, or stopping of any motor vehicle is prohibited.
See every category we cover for Seminole County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Seminole County Ordinance Hub →