Chatham County, GA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Chatham County, GA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Sound level cap
- 90 dBA at 50 feet
- Residential use hours
- 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Permitted uses
- fairs, parades, concerts, civic events
- Commercial ad use
- banned outright, Sec. 24-306(3)
- Enforcement
- County Noise Control Officer
Summary
Chatham County limits amplified sound equipment, radios, loud speakers, sound trucks and similar devices, to 90 dBA measured 50 feet away, and only for county-authorized activities such as fairs, parades, outdoor concerts and civic celebrations. Where the sound reaches residential land, Sec. 24-306(2) further confines use to the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sound equipment permitted. Except as hereafter provided, no person shall use, operate or cause to be used or operated any radio, record player, tape deck or player, loud speaker, amplifier, sound truck or other device for producing, reproducing, or amplifying sounds, hereinafter referred to as "sound equipment", upon the public streets or in any building or upon any premises, public or private, so as to produce a noise disturbance. Provided, however, the following activities were authorized by Chatham County may use sound equipment which produces a sound not to exceed ninety (90) db(A)'s when measured at a distance of fifty (50) feet from such equipment. Where the receiving land is residential such equipment may be used only from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 24-306(2) governs sound equipment, defined to include radios, record players, tape decks, loud speakers, amplifiers and sound trucks used to produce, reproduce or amplify sound on public streets, in buildings, or on any premises. Ordinary use that creates a noise disturbance is barred outright, but the section carves out a permitted-activity list: public health and safety uses, fairs, carnivals, parades and processions, outdoor concerts and theatrical performances, neighborhood functions like lawn and pool parties and street dances, civic and religious celebrations, and recreational or athletic events.
, cutting off two hours before Sec. 24-304's general nighttime curfew begins. Sec. 24-306(3) separately bans any sound equipment used for commercial advertising or to draw attention to a building for monetary gain if it is plainly audible from a public street, with no permit available for that use at all. Chatham County's Noise Control Officer administers authorization and enforcement under Sec. near residential land, is treated as a noise disturbance in violation of the ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Operating sound equipment above 90 dBA at 50 feet, past 11:00 p.m. near residential property, or for an activity the county never authorized is a violation of Sec. 24-306. Commercial advertising by sound equipment audible from a public street is barred outright under Sec. 24-306(3). Penalties follow the ordinance's general misdemeanor scheme: up to $500 and 30 days in jail per Sec. 2-108, each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a loudspeaker at an outdoor event in Chatham County?
Is there a curfew for outdoor speakers near homes in Chatham County?
Can a business use loudspeakers to advertise in Chatham County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
Compare Chatham County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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