Charleston County, SC Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

County Code § 3-42 makes it "unlawful for any person to play, operate, or cause to be played or operated, any radio or other music or sound amplification or reproduction equipment upon real property in such a manner as to be plainly audible within any residential dwelling of another," using the same low bar as the vehicle rule: "the detection of the rhythmic bass component of the music or sound is sufficient to constitute a plainly audible sound" (§ 3-40 defines "plainly audible" as anything "detected by a person using his or her unaided hearing facilities").

Section 3-43 adds a second, distance-and-decibel layer on top: sound plainly audible "within 500 feet of the property line of a residentially developed parcel or above 70 dBA" is separately prohibited, and any plainly audible excessive sound between "10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m." is barred outright regardless of distance. Section 3-44 lists thirteen specific exemptions from all three sections, including "church bells or other activities of organized religious services," "farming equipment or farming activity during daylight hours," "timber harvesting and milling during daylight hours," "domestic power equipment including, but not limited to, chain saws, sanders, grinders, lawn and garden tools" during daylight, "construction, demolition equipment, or mineral extraction" during permitted daytime hours, a business's "outside sound system to notify patrons waiting to pick up an order" as long as it stays reasonable, and "permitted public performances, gatherings, or parades." A conviction is a misdemeanor under § 3-45, fined up to $500.00 or 30 days in jail, or both, and § 3-46 lets any neighbor "specifically damaged" sue directly in magistrate or circuit court to stop the noise.