Chesterfield County, VA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- "Plainly audible," not decibels
- Night test
- 50 ft, 11:01 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Day test
- 300 ft, doors/windows closed
- Fine
- $100–$500 misdemeanor
- Code section
- County Code § 14-27
Summary
Chesterfield County sets no decibel cap for data center equipment. Cooling and generator noise falls under the general noise ordinance, Code § 14-27: a 'plainly audible' test barring sound audible inside a neighbor's home or beyond 50 feet at night. Site limits come through permit conditions.
It shall be unlawful for any person to use, operate or play... any radio, phonograph, television, ... musical instrument, loudspeaker, sound amplifier or other machine or device capable of producing or reproducing sound in such a manner or with such volume or duration that it is plainly audible between 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. either inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person or off the property on which the device is located and at 50 or more feet from the device.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Chesterfield does not set A-weighted decibel caps at the property line for mechanical equipment. Instead, Code § 14-27 (Loud noises prohibited) applies a 'plainly audible' standard. Between 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., no machine or device may produce sound plainly audible inside another person's dwelling or off the property at 50 or more feet. By day the threshold loosens to sound plainly audible inside a dwelling with doors and windows closed, or at 300 or more feet. Because the rule turns on audibility rather than a measured dB level, enforcement against a 24/7 data center is complaint-driven. The county's real leverage is the ZOMod conditional use permit: the Board of Supervisors can require sound walls, equipment enclosures and larger setbacks.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 14-27 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, enforced by the Chesterfield County Police Department. Breaching a noise condition on a conditional use permit is separately enforced by the Planning Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chesterfield County set a decibel limit for data center noise?
Who do I call about data center noise in Chesterfield County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
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