Prince William County, VA Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Distance trigger
- Within 100 yards of a dwelling
- Zone exception
- Industrial districts not covered
- Governing section
- PWC Code § 14-5(3)
- Variance option
- Apply to Dept. of Public Works, Sec. 14-8
Summary
Prince William County bans loading and unloading trucks near homes late at night. Sec. 14-5(3) makes it a violation to operate, load or unload any vehicle, or to open and break down bales, boxes, crates and containers outdoors within 100 yards of a lawfully occupied dwelling, between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., outside industrial zones.
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 within 100 yards of a lawfully occupied dwelling between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 46 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. violates the chapter regardless of how loud the county's sound meters actually read. The ban does not apply in industrial zoning districts, so warehouse and distribution-center loading docks sited there are not covered. It also does not override Sec. 14-5(4), the separate rule on nighttime commercial-advertising sound devices mounted on trucks, or the general Table 1 property-line decibel limits in Sec. 14-4, both of which can apply on top of the loading-and-unloading ban. A business that cannot avoid nighttime deliveries, a grocery store restocking before opening, for example, can apply to the director of public works for a variance under Sec. 14-8 by showing the noise will not endanger public health or safety, or that compliance would cause a hardship outweighing the benefit to neighbors.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the nighttime loading-and-unloading ban is a Class 4 misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $250 under Sec. 14-2(a). A second violation within 365 days of a prior conviction is a Class 3 misdemeanor, fined up to $500. The county may instead issue a civil penalty of up to $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for a second under Sec. 14-2(b), reserving criminal charges for a third or later offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a delivery truck unload at a store near my house at midnight?
Does this rule apply to warehouses and distribution centers?
What if a business genuinely needs overnight deliveries?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince William County
Compare Prince William County to another location·View the Virginia noise from specific sources overview
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