Marion County, FL Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Category
- D: industrial/commercial
- Limit
- 75 dB(A) at any time
- Measured at
- receiving property line
- Pure-tone penalty
- limit cut by 5 dB(A)
- Second violation fine
- $100 civil penalty
Summary
Marion County treats data centers as land use acoustic category D (industrial), capping noise at 75 dB(A) at the receiving property line at any time under the county's Chapter 13 acoustic-category noise standard.
Table 1 lists land use acoustic categories... D: Industrial or commercial areas where manufacturing, production/shipping, or other industrial uses occur... Table 2... D / Any time / 75 [dB(A)]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 122 | Land Development Code: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 13-7 sorts land uses into acoustic categories A through D for noise-limit purposes; category D covers "industrial or commercial areas where manufacturing, production/shipping, or other industrial uses occur," which a data center's cooling and generator equipment falls under. Table 2 sets category D's limit at 75 dB(A) any time, measured as an Leq value at the receiving property line, not the source's own line. A pure-tone source (a steady mechanical hum, as from chillers) has that limit reduced by 5 dB(A). The limit is exceeded if the Leq reading tops 75 dB(A), or if any instantaneous reading exceeds it by 15 dB(A) or more.
Violations & Fines
Code enforcement issues a civil citation under Sec. 2-211: a warning for a first violation, a $100 civil penalty for a second, and $500 for third and later violations of the sound-level limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is a data center's noise measured?
Does the 75 dB(A) limit apply only at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marion County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Marion County to another location·View the Florida data centers & crypto mining overview
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