Bartow County, GA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime noise limit
- 65 dB average, 8am-6pm
- Nighttime noise limit
- 55 dB average, 6pm-8am
- Measurement point
- Adjacent residential property boundary
- Daily penalty
- Up to $1,000 per day
- Who pays for testing
- Data center operator
Summary
Unincorporated Bartow County caps the continuous sound a data center can produce at its property line under the county Zoning Ordinance. The limit is 65 decibels from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and drops to 55 decibels overnight, measured at any boundary shared with a residential property.
13.In order to ensure that data centers do not contribute to noise pollution, all data centers shall be subject to the following standards:a.Data center operations shall not produce continuous sound that exceeds an average of 65 decibels over any 30-minute period from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., measured at any adjacent property boundary between the data center site and a residential property. Nor shall data center operations produce continuous sound that exceeds an average of 55 decibels over any 30-minute period from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., measured at any adjacent property boundary between the site and residential property. Violations of these sound levels may be prosecuted in the same manner as other zoning ordinance violations. ... the violator shall be subject to a fine up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each day that the violation exists until full compliance is obtained.
Full Breakdown
2, paragraph 13, sets numeric noise standards for every data center in unincorporated Bartow County in order to ensure that data centers do not contribute to noise pollution. , cannot produce continuous sound averaging more than 65 decibels over any 30-minute period, measured at the property boundary shared with an adjacent residential property. , the average ceiling drops to 55 decibels over the same 30-minute measurement window. The ordinance treats these limits as enforceable zoning standards, and violations may be prosecuted the same way as any other zoning ordinance violation.
After a Certificate of Occupancy is issued, the county may order or conduct sound studies to verify ongoing compliance, and a data center operator found in violation can be directed by the Zoning Administrator to propose a corrective solution and an implementation timeline. If the operator's approved solution is not implemented within the approved time, the ordinance imposes an escalating daily fine of up to $1,000 for every day the violation continues until the site is back in compliance. The data center operator, not the county, bears the cost of any sound test or study needed to monitor a violation. 2(13), though it remains subject to the county's general nuisance provisions.
Violations & Fines
A confirmed violation of the 65/55-decibel standard does not go through the ordinary $300-$1,000 zoning fine schedule; § 3.2(13) sets its own penalty of up to $1,000 per day for every day the data center stays out of compliance after the Zoning Administrator approves a correction timeline and the operator fails to meet it. The operator also pays for the sound studies used to document the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is data center noise measured in Bartow County?
What decibel level triggers a violation at night?
What penalty applies if a data center stays too loud?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
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