Burlington, NC Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 22-68(a) bars anyone from causing mechanically or electronically produced or amplified sound that exceeds the section's limits, measured at any point beyond the property line where the sound originates, unless it is authorized by a city or state permit. Subsection (b) sets the nighttime ceiling, 10:00 p.m. through 6:30 a.m., at sixty decibels, dB(A), or whatever a reasonable person would find unreasonably loud if lower; subsection (c) sets the daytime and evening ceiling, 6:30 a.m. through 10:00 p.m., at seventy dB(A). The article defines a decibel using the American National Standards Institute's "A" frequency-weighting network, so enforcement relies on a calibrated sound level meter rather than an officer's impression alone.

Subsection (d) carves out several exemptions, including safety and emergency-vehicle sounds, permitted temporary events, school public address systems and religious chimes, none of which count toward the property-line limits. Enforcement under § 22-68(e) escalates with repetition: a $150 civil penalty for a first violation, $250 for a second within twelve months, and $500 for a third within that same period, payable to the city tax collector within ten days, with an unpaid penalty drawing a further $25 late charge and a civil debt action. A fourth violation within twelve months, or refusing to identify yourself to an officer, becomes a Class 3 misdemeanor under § 22-68(f), punishable by up to a $100 fine or thirty days in jail under G.S. §§ 14-4 and 160A-175.