Glynn County, GA Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- Glynn County Code § 2-9-51
- Bass status
- expressly included in "plainly audible" test
- Lyrics not required
- words/phrases need not be discernible
- Daytime threshold
- 300 feet, 7 a.m.–11 p.m.
- Nighttime threshold
- 100 feet, 11 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Penalty range
- $100–$1,000 fine or up to 60 days jail
Summary
Glynn County's noise ordinance treats bass reverberations as regulated noise, not an exception. The ordinance's core "plainly audible" standard, the yardstick used for every mechanical sound-making device restriction in Chapter 2-9, expressly counts bass even when the words or melody of the music are not distinguishable.
Plainly Audible shall mean any sound emanating from the specific sound-producing sources set forth herein which can be heard from the distances set forth herein, using the following sound measurement standards: Measurement shall be by the auditory senses of a person standing at a distance no less than the required minimum distance from the source of the sound. For music and other noise, words and phrases need not be discernible. For music and other noise, bass reverberations are included.
Full Breakdown
Glynn County Code § 2-9-51 defines "Plainly Audible" for the county's Noise Abatement Ordinance as any regulated sound that can be heard from the specified distances, measured by a person's auditory senses standing at or beyond the minimum distance from the source. The definition goes on to say that for music and other noise, words and phrases need not be discernible, and bass reverberations are included, meaning a subwoofer or car audio system that produces only a felt or heard bass thump, without recognizable lyrics, still counts as plainly audible noise.
A parallel definition covers sound measured from inside an adjoining residential dwelling, at a distance of at least five feet from the exterior wall with doors and windows closed, and it likewise states that bass reverberations are included. m. Because bass is written into the audibility test itself, a bass-heavy source cannot escape enforcement by arguing that only the low end, not the lyrics, carried across the distance.
Violations & Fines
A mechanical sound-making device violation under § 2-9-53, measured using the bass-inclusive "plainly audible" standard, is punishable under § 2-9-58 by a warning for a first offense and thereafter a fine of at least $100.00 and not more than $1,000.00, or imprisonment of at least 24 hours up to 60 days, or both, with each day and each separate incident treated as its own offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Glynn County's noise ordinance cover bass-heavy music even without clear lyrics?
How far away does bass noise have to carry to be a violation?
What happens the first time I'm cited for loud bass in Glynn County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glynn County
Compare Glynn County to another location·View the Georgia noise from specific sources overview
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