Albemarle County, VA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered venues
- Restaurant, dance hall, concert/public hall, cinema, theater
- Duration trigger
- 5+ continuous minutes without a 30-second break
- Daytime measure
- Audible 100 feet or more from the property line
- Overnight measure
- Audible inside a dwelling, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Enforcing agency
- Chief of Police under § 7-101
- Penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor under § 7-108
Summary
In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, sound from a device inside a restaurant, dance hall or other "place of public entertainment" is unlawful under County Code § 7-105(B)(3) if it runs five or more continuous minutes and carries 100 feet past the property line, or reaches a neighboring dwelling between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
"Place of public entertainment" means a building or other place used primarily as a cinema, theater, amphitheater, concert hall, public hall, dance hall, restaurant, or other place of entertainment open to the public, regardless of whether the payment of money or other consideration is required for admission, but does not include a music festival authorized by a special use permit under County Code Chapter 18. ... 3.Device within a place of public entertainment. The device is located within a place of public entertainment, and the sound is audible for a duration of five continuous minutes or more, without an interruption of the sound for 30 or more consecutive seconds during the five minute period, within any one hour period: (i) from a distance of 100 feet or more from the property line of the parcel on which the place of public entertainment is located; or (ii) between the hours of 10:00 p.m. any day and 7:00 a.m. the following day from inside a dwelling unit or hotel room;
Full Breakdown
County Code § 7-103 defines a "place of public entertainment" as a building or other place used primarily as a cinema, theater, amphitheater, concert hall, public hall, dance hall, restaurant or other place of entertainment open to the public, whether or not admission requires payment, but the definition excludes a music festival authorized by a Chapter 18 special use permit. , from inside a neighboring dwelling unit or hotel room. The daytime standard is stricter on distance (100 feet) while the overnight standard reaches all the way into a neighbor's home regardless of distance.
This is distinct from the outdoor amplified-music rule in § 7-105(B)(5), which covers speakers and PA systems set up outdoors rather than sound generated inside the building itself. The Chief of Police administers and enforces the article under § 7-101, and a violation carries the general Class 3 misdemeanor penalty in § 7-108 rather than the enhanced construction-noise penalty.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 7-105(B)(3) is a Class 3 misdemeanor under § 7-108. The person operating or controlling the sound source is liable, and if the source can't be identified, any owner, tenant or resident present on the parcel where the sound originated can be charged. A private complainant needs a magistrate's summons under § 7-107 unless an officer witnesses the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a bar's music be in Albemarle County?
What counts as a "place of public entertainment"?
Are the rules different at night?
Who is liable if a bar is cited for noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albemarle County
Compare Albemarle County to another location·View the Virginia noise from specific sources overview
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