Stafford County, VA Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Protected distance
- Within 100 yards of a dwelling
- Zone exemption
- Industrial districts M-1, M-2 excluded
- Refuse trucks
- Separate 10 p.m.-5:30 a.m. rule, Sec. 16-6(a)(9)
- Offense class
- Class 2 misdemeanor
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
Summary
Stafford County bars loading, unloading or operating trucks and other vehicles outdoors within one hundred yards of an occupied home between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under County Code Sec. 16-6(a)(1). The rule also reaches opening or destroying boxes, crates and containers overnight.
(1)Operating, loading, or unloading any vehicle, including, but not limited to, trucks, or the opening and destruction of bales, boxes, crates, and containers in the outdoors in zones other than industrial zoning districts within one hundred (100) yards of a lawfully occupied dwelling between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Sec. m. Because the ban is written by distance from a dwelling rather than by district alone, it protects homes located near commercial or office zoning, not just residential districts, while exempting activity that occurs in the M-1 and M-2 industrial districts defined in Sec. 16-3. A related but separate provision, Sec. specifically for loading or unloading refuse, waste or recycling collection vehicles within five hundred feet of a dwelling, so trash truck pickups are governed on their own schedule rather than this general delivery-truck rule.
Sec. 16-4(d) exempts permitted daytime construction-related outdoor equipment operating during the standard daytime hours from the numeric decibel limits, but that exemption does not reach the nighttime loading and unloading ban in Sec. 16-6(a)(1). Sec. 16-2 makes a violation a class 2 misdemeanor absent a more specific penalty.
Violations & Fines
Loading, unloading, or operating a truck outdoors within one hundred yards of an occupied dwelling between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., outside an industrial zoning district, is a class 2 misdemeanor under Sec. 16-2, punishable under Sec. 1-11(a)(2) by a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a delivery truck unload at my neighbor's house at midnight?
Does this rule apply near industrial zoned property?
Is trash pickup covered by the same 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. rule?
What is the penalty for overnight truck noise violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stafford County
Compare Stafford County to another location·View the Virginia noise from specific sources overview
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