Sebastian County, AR Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Crypto Mining Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 96.02, adopted 2023
- Crypto mining covered
- included in DATA CENTER definition
- Daytime limit
- 65 dBA (8am-10pm)
- Nighttime limit
- 55 dBA (10pm-8am)
- First-offense fine
- $1,000
- Continuing violation
- $500 per day
Summary
Sebastian County regulates cryptocurrency mining as a 'data center' under Code § 96.02, requiring neighbor notice, third-party noise studies and an attenuation plan before construction. Section 96.05 caps noise at 65 dBA by day and 55 dBA at night, with fines up to $1,000 per violation.
DATA CENTER. A facility constructed and operated that is engaged in storage, management, processing, and transmission of digital data, including facilities used for cryptocurrency mining, which houses networked computer systems along with supporting equipment such as batteries, back-up power generators, HVAC, and cooling systems. ... § 96.05 NOISE LIMITATIONS. It shall be unlawful for any data center to make or continue to cause or permit to be made or continued, noise levels constituting a noise disturbance ... if the sound level is: (A) 65 dBa or higher during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or 55 dBa or higher during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. ... measured at the property line of the receiving property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-62: 2026 S-62 contains Local legislation current through April 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Sebastian County Code Chapter 96, adopted by Ord. 02 defines DATA CENTER to expressly include facilities used for cryptocurrency mining alongside conventional server operations, so any Sebastian County crypto-mining operation is regulated as a data center under this chapter. 03(A) requires the operator to mail notice to every resident and homeowners' association within a half-mile radius of the site and to notify the County Judge, with proof filed at the County Clerk's office within 30 days. 03(B) then requires a baseline sound study by a third-party acoustic engineer, measuring existing noise at eight compass points along the property line, filed with the County Judge and Clerk within 30 days of completion.
03(C), designed with a third-party architectural or design firm, which may include soundproofing walls, screens, panels, fences, buffer yards, or fully screened mechanical equipment, and must be filed the same way. 03(D) until a post-construction noise study, measured at full mechanical capacity at the same eight points, confirms compliance, and the operator must repeat both studies annually thereafter. , measured at the receiving property line.
Violations & Fines
Sebastian County Code § 96.99(B) fines a first violation of Chapter 96, such as exceeding the decibel limits in § 96.05 or missing a filing deadline under § 96.03, at $1,000, doubling to $2,000 for a repeat violation. A continuing violation draws an additional $500 for each day it persists, and § 96.03(D)(2) bars a noncompliant data center, including a crypto-mining facility, from beginning operations at all until it passes its post-construction noise study.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sebastian County regulate cryptocurrency mining facilities?
What noise limit applies to a crypto-mining facility?
Do neighbors get notified before a mining facility is built?
Can a crypto-mining facility open before testing its noise levels?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sebastian County
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