DeKalb County, GA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governs
- Unincorporated DeKalb County only
- AC noise status
- Excluded from nighttime noise rule
- Base nighttime rule
- 11 p.m.-7 a.m., plainly-audible test
- Commercial HVAC cap
- 70 dB(A) day, 60 dB(A) night
- Enforcement
- Police chief as sound control administrator
- First-offense fine (other noise)
- $200 minimum
Summary
DeKalb County's nighttime noise ordinance bars sound that's plainly audible inside a neighbor's sealed home between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., but Code § 16-303(c)(14) specifically excludes 'sound from residential air conditioner units' from that ban. In the unincorporated county, a running condenser or heat pump can't be cited under the residential noise rule, even overnight.
(a)Single-family detached dwellings. It is unlawful for any person, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., to make, cause, or allow any sound from a source within his ownership or control that projects, emits or transmits into any single-family detached dwelling in a residential area owned or occupied by another, such that the sound is plainly audible anywhere within the interior of a sealed dwelling. (c)Exclusions. The prohibitions of this section shall not apply to the following sounds: ... (14)Sound from residential air conditioner units;
Full Breakdown
such that the sound is plainly audible anywhere within the interior of a sealed dwelling' (subsection (a)); a parallel rule covers common areas of multifamily buildings under subsection (b). ' Read together, an HVAC condenser, heat pump or window unit serving a house in unincorporated DeKalb is not a noise violation under this article no matter how loud or how late it runs, alongside similar exclusions for pool filter pumps (item 15), muffled vehicle traffic (item 13) and permitted special events (item 16). The exemption applies only to residential equipment; commercial and industrial HVAC and other mechanical sound is instead capped by numeric limits in Division 2, § 16-305, which sets 70 dB(A) in commercial areas, 80 dB(A) in industrial areas, and 70 dB(A)/73 dB(C) in mixed-use developments during the day, dropping to 60 dB(A)/63 dB(C) overnight.
The police chief serves as sound control administrator under § 16-309 and can issue special administrative permits for other sound sources, but no permit is needed for a residential AC unit since it's excluded outright. This article governs only the unincorporated area; Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Tucker, Stonecrest, Decatur and DeKalb's other cities enforce their own noise codes.
Violations & Fines
Because residential AC noise is excluded under § 16-303(c)(14), it cannot draw a citation under this article regardless of volume or hour. Other, unexcluded residential noise violations are enforced by police officers, code compliance officers or the sound control administrator, with fines under § 16-310 starting at $200 for a first conviction, $500 for a second within twelve months, and $1,000 for a third within twenty-four months, on top of any other penalty the court imposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I report my neighbor's AC unit as a noise violation in DeKalb County?
Does this exemption cover commercial HVAC equipment too?
Who enforces DeKalb County's noise ordinance?
Does this rule apply inside Decatur, Dunwoody or Brookhaven?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia noise from specific sources overview
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