The county's noise ordinance, overhauled in October 2025 and in force since May 2026, caps sound at 73 dBC by day and 68 dBC at night, measured at the property line, and separately targets the steady low-frequency buzz data centers produce.
The rewritten Chapter 14 noise ordinance, adopted October 29, 2025 and effective May 1, 2026, sets maximum permissible sound levels of 73 dBC during the day and 68 dBC at night, measured on a C-weighted scale at the property line. A separate provision attacks steady tonal noise, the droning whine, hum, rumble, or buzz from HVAC units, transformers, and generators that residents near data centers complained about. Steady tonal violations are handled by County Property Code Enforcement rather than police, and a first offense is a Class 4 misdemeanor. Acoustic consultants had urged tighter limits of 67 dBC day and 62 dBC night, and Amazon voluntarily quieted one campus to about 62 dBC.
A first steady-tonal-noise violation is a Class 4 misdemeanor enforced by County Property Code Enforcement. Exceeding the 73/68 dBC caps at the property line is a noise violation subject to abatement and escalating penalties.
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