Virginia Beach, VA Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 80 dB(A), 7 a.m.–11 p.m.
- Nighttime limit
- 75 dB(A), 11 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Vehicle stereo limit
- Audible beyond 100 feet
- Enforcing agency
- Virginia Beach Police Department
- First-offense penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor
Summary
Boomboxes, car and home stereos, and amplifiers in Virginia Beach are capped at 80 dB(A) daytime and 75 dB(A) overnight when heard from a public area or neighboring property.
Audio and audio-visual devices, musical instruments, amplified sound etc., excluding those in motor vehicles. The playing or operation of any television, boombox, stereo, phonograph, radio, tape player, compact disc player, MP3 player, video player, musical instrument, drum, amplifier or any other device that produces, reproduces or amplifies sound ... where the sound, when measured in any public area ... or from other private property between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. exceeds eighty (80) dB(A), or between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. exceeds seventy-five (75) dB(A)...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 23-71(d) makes it a violation to play a television, boombox, stereo, radio, or amplifier, bass-heavy music included, loud enough that it exceeds 80 dB(A) between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., or 75 dB(A) between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., measured from a public street, sidewalk, or other private property. Amplified sound from vehicles is separately capped under § 23-70(c) at audible-and-discernible beyond 100 feet. Enforcement uses a standard A-weighted decibel meter under § 23-68; the code does not carve out a separate low-frequency or C-weighted standard for bass frequencies.
Violations & Fines
First offense is a Class 3 misdemeanor; a repeat violation within one year is a Class 2 misdemeanor, plus possible injunctive relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia Beach have a separate rule for bass or subwoofers?
Can I be cited for a loud car stereo even without a decibel meter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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