Portsmouth, VA Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 24-255(c)(2)
- Offense type
- Per se, no meter required
- Trigger
- Perceptible vibration in another vehicle
- Also triggers violation
- Drowns out radio, call, or CB
- First offense
- Class IV misdemeanor, up to $250
- Repeat within 12 months
- Class III misdemeanor, up to $500
Summary
Blasting a car stereo's bass hard enough to be felt is a stand-alone offense in Portsmouth, no decibel meter required. City Code § 24-255(c)(2) makes it illegal to run a vehicle sound system that creates 'physically perceptible vibrations' in another vehicle, or that drowns out conversation, a car radio, or a phone call through closed windows.
(c)Per se offenses. The following activities are deemed to comprise creating excessive sound in violation of this section, without any requirement of scientific measurement of sound levels:...(2)A person operating a sound system in a motor vehicle at a sound level that, when heard in another vehicle with the windows closed, interferes with normal conversation, interferes with normal use or enjoyment of a car radio, interferes with use of a communication system (such as a cell phone, car telephone, citizens band radio, or police radio), or creates physically perceptible vibrations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
' Any one of those four triggers is independently sufficient; low-frequency bass that a driver in a neighboring vehicle can feel through the door or seat, even with the windows up and no conversation happening, satisfies the 'physically perceptible vibrations' clause on its own. Because this is a per se offense rather than a decibel-based one, an officer does not need a sound level meter, a calibration certificate, or a 12-month accuracy report to write the citation, unlike the measured thresholds in subsection (d) that govern stationary sound sources.
The test is instead the practical effect on someone in a nearby vehicle. This is the only provision in § 24-255 that speaks specifically to vehicle audio systems, as opposed to horns, engine exhaust, or alarms, which are addressed separately in the same subsection.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 24-255(c)(2) is a Class IV misdemeanor, fined up to $250.00 under § 1-11(a)(4); a second conviction within 12 months escalates to a Class III misdemeanor, fined up to $500.00, per § 24-255(g). Portsmouth police can cite the driver on the spot based on the officer's own perception of the vibration or interference, since no meter reading is required for this per se offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be ticketed for loud bass even if no one measures the decibels?
What exactly counts as a violation for a car stereo in Portsmouth?
What's the penalty for a loud car stereo citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portsmouth
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