Onslow County, NC Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Onslow County, NC, 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. 11-1(b)(3)
- Standard
- Annoys or disturbs quiet/comfort/repose
- Decibel limit
- None specified
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months, per Sec. 1-6
- State authority
- G.S. 153A-133
Summary
Onslow County bans playing a radio, phonograph or musical instrument loud enough to disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of any person in a dwelling, hotel or other residence, or in a public vehicular area. There is no fixed decibel meter; the standard is whether the volume annoys or disturbs neighbors.
The playing of any radio, phonograph or any musical instrument in such manner or with such volume, as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of any person in any dwelling, hotel, other type of residence, or in an area defined as a "public vehicular area" in G.S. 20-4.01(32).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Onslow County Code of Ordinances Sec. S. 01(32)" as a declared violation. The ordinance does not set a decibel limit; enforcement turns on whether the sound disturbs a person's quiet, comfort or repose in a protected location, and the list of prohibited acts in subsection (b) is expressly nonexclusive, meaning other loud, disturbing sound not itemized can still be cited under the general prohibition in subsection (a). S. 153A-133 as its statutory authority to regulate noise. Complaints are handled as ordinance violations rather than through a separate noise-permit system; there is no exemption in the text for scheduled events or businesses, so a bar, restaurant or private party playing amplified music loud enough to disturb neighboring dwellings is exposed to the same standard as an individual resident.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 11-1(c) sets the penalty by cross-reference to the general penalty in Sec. 1-6: a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than six months for each offense, and each day the noise continues can be charged as a separate violation under Sec. 1-6(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for music in Onslow County?
What is the penalty for a noise violation in the county?
Does the amplified music rule apply only at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Onslow County
Compare Onslow County to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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