Norfolk, VA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Norfolk, 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
- Governing section
- Sec. 26-6(a)(3)
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Distance threshold
- 50 feet, or inside a dwelling
- Granby Street rule
- 10 feet from bar/restaurant entrance
- Penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor, up to $500
Summary
Norfolk bans loudspeakers, PA systems, and amplifiers, including car audio, from running between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if the sound is plainly audible inside a neighbor's dwelling, 50 feet away, or on Granby Street, within 10 feet of a bar or restaurant entrance with doors and windows closed. Sec. 26-6(a)(3) sets the rule.
(3)Loudspeakers, public address systems, amplifiers, and similar devices. Using, operating, or permitting the operation of any loudspeaker, public address system, mobile sound vehicle, communication system, amplifier, or similar device capable of amplifying sound, including any such device in a motor vehicle, for any purpose between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to permit sound to be plainly audible (i) inside the confines of another person's enclosed dwelling unit or enclosed motor vehicle; or (ii) at fifty (50) or more feet from the noise; or (iii) amplified music that is plainly audible at ten (10) or more feet from an entrance to a nightclub or restaurant on Granby Street, observed when all doors and windows facing the street are closed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
Sec. , if the sound is plainly audible inside another person's enclosed dwelling unit or enclosed motor vehicle, at 50 or more feet from the noise, or, in a Granby Street-specific clause, if amplified music is plainly audible 10 or more feet from the entrance of a nightclub or restaurant there with all doors and windows facing the street closed. Because this is a per se offense under Sec. 26-6(a), officers don't need a sound level meter reading, unlike the Table II decibel caps in Sec.
26-6(c); the "plainly audible" standard in Sec. 26-2 controls, including its rule that rhythmic bass alone is enough. window, general audio devices instead fall under Sec. 26-6(a)(2)'s daytime 100-foot threshold. The Norfolk Police Department enforces under Sec. 26-3(a), and Sec. 26-3(b) presumes any owner, tenant, resident, or manager present where the amplifier is located to be liable if the operator can't be identified.
Violations & Fines
Violating the nighttime amplified-sound rule in Sec. 26-6(a)(3) is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 under Sec. 26-4(a). The city can also pursue a restraining order or injunction as a nuisance-abatement remedy under Sec. 26-4(b) if the amplified sound keeps disturbing residents' comfort or repose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar on Granby Street play amplified music at night?
Does the amplified sound curfew apply to car stereos too?
What penalty applies to a first amplified-sound violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
Compare Norfolk to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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