Hampton, VA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Hampton, VA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Daytime threshold
- Audible 100+ ft, 7am-10pm
- Nighttime threshold
- Audible 50+ ft, 10pm-7am
- Test used
- "Plainly audible," no meter
- First-offense fine
- Up to $500 (§ 22-1)
Summary
Citywide, Hampton bars running a radio, speaker, or other sound device so loud it is plainly audible 100 or more feet away by day or 50 feet at night, or inside a neighbor's home at any hour.
Instruments, machines, or devices operated in such a manner or with such volume or duration that it is plainly audible (i) inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person; (ii) at a distance of 100 or more feet in any direction from the operator between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; or (iii) at a distance of 50 or more feet in any direction from the operator between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
(3) Noisy animals. Allowing any animal to cause any sound or noise such that it is plainly audible (i) inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person at least once a minute for ten (10) consecutive minutes or (ii) at one hundred (100) or more feet from the animal at least once a minute for ten (10) consecutive minutes or (iii) after more than one complaint has been received and after the owner or other responsible person has been advised of the complaints and that such noise is unlawful.
(4) Trash and recycling collection. The creation of any sound or noise between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. that is plainly audible in a residential area, except those areas zoned C-1 "Neighborhood Commercial District", C-2 "Limited Commercial District" and C-3 "General Commercial District", when the sound or noise is produced in connection with the loading or unloading of refuse, waste or recycling collection vehicles.
(5)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Hampton City Code § 22-9(2) prohibits operating any instrument, machine, or device, radios, loudspeakers, PA systems, amplifiers and the like, at a volume that is plainly audible inside another person's dwelling at any time, or beyond 100 feet from the operator between 7 am and 10 pm, or beyond 50 feet between 10 pm and 7 am. No decibel meter is required; a bass reverberation a neighbor can detect with unaided hearing is enough. Enforcement requires either a police officer witnessing the violation or a complainant appearing before a magistrate to request a summons, per § 22-1.
Violations & Fines
Running amplified sound equipment loud enough to be plainly audible inside a neighbor's home, or beyond 100 feet by day and 50 feet at night, without a qualifying exemption.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is "too loud" measured for a stereo or speaker?
What's the penalty for a first noise violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
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