Arlington County, VA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt equipment
- Emergency backup electric generating systems
- Governing provision
- § 15-5.F.6
- Exempt from
- Table I & II decibel limits, § 15-6 acts
- Nighttime restrictions
- Do not apply to backup generators
- Noise-suppression tampering
- Still barred under § 15-7
- Permit required
- No, exemption is automatic
Summary
Arlington County exempts emergency backup electric generators from its noise rules outright. Section 15-5.F.6 removes "electricity-generating systems used to provide emergency backup electric power" from the Table I and Table II decibel limits and from the § 15-6 list of prohibited noisy acts, including the Nighttime restrictions.
F. Exemptions. In addition to the exemptions procedure set forth in § 15-12, the following activities or sources of noise shall be exempt from the prohibitions set forth in this § 15-5, Tables I and II of this section, and § 15-6: ... 6. Electricity-generating systems used to provide emergency backup electric power.
Full Breakdown
" Because the exemption reaches Tables I and II together with all of § 15-6, a backup generator running during a power outage is not held to the zoning-district decibel ceilings in Table I, as low as 55 dBA at night in residential districts, or to the Nighttime prohibited-acts list, so it can legally run overnight without regard to how loud it registers. This exemption is separate from, and does not require, the discretionary exemption process the County Manager runs under § 15-12 for other noise sources; it applies automatically whenever the equipment's purpose is emergency backup power rather than routine or standby generation.
The exemption does not reach § 15-7, which independently bars removing, disconnecting or disabling a noise-suppression device that came installed on equipment under federal, state or local law or as a permit condition, so a generator's factory muffler or sound enclosure still may not be defeated. The County Manager administers Chapter 15 under § 15-4.
Violations & Fines
A backup generator's noise output itself is not a Chapter 15 violation because § 15-5.F.6 exempts it from Tables I and II and from § 15-6. But disabling the unit's noise-suppression equipment under § 15-7, or running the generator for a purpose other than emergency backup power, forfeits the exemption and exposes the operator to the same § 15-9 misdemeanor ($100 to $2,500, up to 30 days jail) and § 15-10 civil citation ($250 first offense, $500 repeat) that apply to other noise violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a backup generator at night in Arlington County without violating noise rules?
Does the generator exemption cover any decibel level?
Do I need a permit to run a backup generator loudly during a power outage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
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