Carteret County, NC Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

Section 10-1(b)(6) of the Carteret County Code targets 'the playing of any radio, cassette player, compact disc, videotape or disc or other similar device for reproducing sound located on or in any motor vehicle' whenever it plays in an unreasonably loud, annoying, disturbing or unnecessary manner on a public street or highway, in any public vehicular area, in a public or private parking lot or park, or even on the premises of a private residence. The section creates a specific evidentiary presumption for bass-heavy audio: if the sound generated, or the noise vibration from it, is audible or can be felt at a distance of 30 feet or more from the device producing it, the county presumes the noise is unreasonably loud, annoying, disturbing and unnecessary, shifting the burden to the vehicle owner to rebut it.

That 30-foot audible-or-felt standard is what makes low-frequency bass enforceable even when a deputy cannot pin an exact decibel reading; a subwoofer that can be felt through a car door two houses away satisfies the presumption on its own. The Board of Commissioners adopted the rule under G.S. 153A-133. As with the county's other vehicle-noise provisions, § 10-1(e)(1) requires an officer to warn the driver first, and scheduled outdoor athletic events, safety signals and emergency vehicles are exempt under § 10-1(d).