Dougherty County, GA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Dougherty County's Noise Ordinance, adopted by Ordinance No. 25-041 on August 18, 2025 and codified at Sections 2-8-44 through 2-8-51, bans loud amplified sound in unincorporated Dougherty County. Section 2-8-47(1) prohibits operating a radio, musical instrument, phonograph, or similar device so it disturbs the peace, quiet, and comfort of neighbors, or louder than reasonably necessary for a voluntary listener inside the room, vehicle, or chamber where it plays. , if the sound is plainly audible fifty feet from the building, structure, or vehicle producing it, that alone is prima facie evidence of a violation, no complaint or intent required.

Section 2-8-47(2) separately bans loudspeakers, sound amplifiers, or similar devices used to cast sound onto public streets for commercial advertising or to attract attention to a building; any loudspeaker announcement must be made live by a person, not through a mechanical or recorded device. Where amplified music also exceeds the numeric decibel ceilings in Section 2-8-47(9), those decibel standards control over the general nuisance test in paragraphs (1) and (2), per the conflicts rule in Section 2-8-47(10). Code enforcement officers and Dougherty County Police Department or sheriff's office officers enforce the article, and Section 2-8-46(c) makes any violation punishable under the general penalty in Section 2-1-8.