Roswell, GA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8.8.3(s)(3)b.3
- Exemption window
- 5 min continuous / 10 min intermittent
- Same rule applies to
- Exterior burglar alarms
- First offense
- $100-$1,000 civil penalty
- Repeat/criminal offense
- Up to $2,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Roswell, Georgia exempts automobile alarms from its general sound-level limits, but only if the alarm shuts itself off within five continuous minutes, or ten if intermittent, under § 8.8.3(s)(3)b.3. An alarm that keeps sounding past that window loses its exemption and becomes a citable noise violation with escalating fines.
3.Noise from any automobile alarm, provided such alarm shall terminate its operation within five (5) continuous minutes of its activation if the sound is not intermittent or ten (10) continuous minutes if the sound is intermittent ... (i)First Offense: A civil penalty of not less than $100.00 and not more than $1,000.00;(ii)Second Offense: A civil penalty of not less than $500.00 and not more than $1,000.00;(iii)Any further offenses by a criminal penalty of a fine not to exceed $2,000.00 and/or incarceration up to six (6) months.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
3(s), sets decibel limits by zone and time of day, then carves out a list of sounds that don't count against those limits at all. Automobile alarms are one of them, but the exemption is conditional: noise from any automobile alarm is exempt provided the alarm terminates its operation within five continuous minutes of activation if the sound is not intermittent, or ten continuous minutes if it is intermittent. The same clause exempts exterior burglar alarms on buildings, giving car alarms and building alarms an identical five-or-ten-minute ceiling.
An alarm that keeps blaring past that window is no longer exempt and can be measured and cited like any other noise source under the section's decibel tables. 3(s)(8). 00 and up to six months in jail. On top of a fine, the Municipal Court Judge can order immediate abatement of the offending alarm, and failing to comply with that order is contempt of court.
Violations & Fines
An automobile alarm that sounds longer than five continuous minutes (or ten if intermittent) loses its exemption and is a citable noise violation under § 8.8.3(s)(8): a first offense draws a civil penalty of $100.00 to $1,000.00, a second draws $500.00 to $1,000.00, and any further offense is criminal, up to a $2,000.00 fine and six months in jail. A municipal court judge can also order immediate abatement of the alarm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal for my car alarm to go off in Roswell, Georgia?
What happens if a car alarm keeps sounding past the time limit?
Does the same rule apply to home burglar alarms?
Who enforces Roswell's car alarm noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roswell
Compare Roswell to another location·View the Georgia noise from specific sources overview
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Car Alarm Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle car alarm limits.