Dothan, AL Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

City Code § 62-102(17) regulates air conditioning noise as part of the Article III enumeration of prohibited noises. Self-contained, one-room units up to one-ton capacity attached to the outside walls or windows of a building must be maintained in good mechanical condition, so a rattling or clattering unit that a homeowner or landlord fails to service can itself become the violation. Units larger than one-ton capacity may not be operated within the city at all unless the compressor is either housed in a soundproof room, or, where attached or immediately adjoining the building, is sound-treated or baffled, with the cooling coil and condensation water disposed of as the city prescribes.

The rule effectively pushes larger commercial or multifamily HVAC compressors toward enclosed or acoustically treated installations before they can run legally next to a business or residence. Because Section 62-102 sits inside the same article as the general noise ban in Section 62-101, a compliant, well-maintained unit can still draw a complaint if its overall sound is loud enough to disturb a neighbor's comfort or repose. Section 62-105 applies the standard Article III penalty here: a first violation is a police citation with a fine up to $200.00, and a repeated or subsequent violation can bring arrest and a fine up to $500.00 and/or six months in the municipal jail, with each day of noncompliant operation potentially charged as a separate offense.