Florence County, SC Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)

Sec. 18-1(b)(2), part of Chapter 18's general noise article, prohibits the use of any gong, bell or siren on any motor vehicle other than police, fire or other emergency vehicle permitted by law. The clause sits among the other enumerated loud, disturbing or unnecessary noises the ordinance lists in subsection (b), and it reaches any non-emergency vehicle equipped with a siren-style alarm, gong or bell tone, whether factory-installed or added aftermarket, when operated in the unincorporated county. The ordinance does not set a separate decibel level, duration limit, or false-alarm fee schedule specific to vehicle alarms the way Article II of Chapter 18 does for building alarm systems; instead it relies on the flat prohibition against gong, bell and siren sounds on ordinary vehicles.

Subsection (a)'s general standard, that noise detrimental to the life or health of any individual or disturbing the quiet and peace of any citizen is unlawful, also applies if a repeatedly triggering car alarm becomes a persistent disturbance. Subsection (e) puts the Florence County Sheriff's Department in charge of enforcement, and a citizen can also seek enforcement directly through a magistrate.