Huntsville, AL Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Time limit
- 15 minutes after activation
- Repeat cap
- 15 min per 2-hour period
- Exempt from
- Sec. 12-265 decibel limits
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 6 months jail
- Enforced by
- Huntsville Police Department
Summary
Huntsville exempts vehicle and other alarm systems from the noise code's decibel limits, but a burglar-type alarm, including one set off by a collision or break-in, cannot keep sounding past 15 minutes.
Any siren, whistle, horn or bell used by emergency vehicles or any other alarm systems used in case of fire, collision, civil defense, burglary, police activity or imminent danger; however, no burglar alarm shall remain activated for more than 15 minutes after being activated and further provided that no burglar alarm shall be allowed to produce alarm sounds in excess of those specified in section 12-265 for more than 15 minutes in any two-hour period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 12-262(2) of the noise ordinance, sirens, horns, or alarm systems triggered by fire, collision, civil defense, burglary, police activity, or imminent danger are exempt from the numeric sound-level limits in Sec. 12-265. That exemption is not unlimited, though: a burglar alarm may not stay activated more than 15 minutes after going off, and it cannot exceed the Sec. 12-265 sound levels for more than 15 minutes in any two-hour period. A car alarm set off by an impact or attempted break-in falls squarely under this collision/burglary trigger language.
Violations & Fines
A car alarm that keeps blaring past the 15-minute cap loses its exemption and becomes an unlawful loud noise under Sec. 12-237, punishable under the Code's general penalty (Sec. 1-7): up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each continuing day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a car alarm legally blare for 20 minutes in Huntsville?
Are car alarms exempt from Huntsville's noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
Compare Huntsville to another location·View the Alabama noise from specific sources overview
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