Virginia Beach, VA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Events (2026)

Virginia Beach addresses amplified music primarily through its general noise ordinance in Chapter 23 of the City Code, which prohibits unreasonably loud sound that disturbs neighbors or carries across property lines. Residential amplified music (backyard speakers, parties, garage bands) is generally permitted during daytime hours but must not be plainly audible inside a neighboring dwelling, and enforcement tightens sharply during the nighttime window from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. At the Oceanfront Resort Area, beachfront restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues operate under additional conditions through their zoning use permits and entertainment permits; live music stages along Atlantic Avenue must end amplified outdoor performance by the times set in their permits, typically 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Any public event that includes amplified sound, such as the Neptune Festival, the Something in the Water festival, or private concerts at venues like the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, requires a special event permit from Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation or the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which specifies curfew and decibel conditions on a case-by-case basis. Police respond to noise complaints from amplified sources and can issue a Class 3 misdemeanor citation for a first offense under state law if the disturbance continues after a warning.