Alexandria, VA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

City Code Sec. 11-5-5 sets the maximum permissible property-line noise level by land use under Table III, measured at the boundary of the property generating the noise, at a height no less than three and one-half feet above ground. ; industrial property is capped at 70 dB(A); and institutional property, covering schools, libraries, hospitals and government buildings, is capped at 60 dB(A). Measurements must use a type 1 or type 2 sound level meter meeting American National Standards Institute specifications, taking at least nine readings 20 seconds apart and using the median as the recorded level.

The Table III limits do not apply to construction sites or power lawn and garden equipment, which instead follow the time-of-day restrictions in Sec. 11-5-4. A related rule, Sec. and 65 dB(A) overnight, each measured ten feet from the source. A property owner facing undue hardship can apply to the city manager under Sec. 11-5-7 for temporary relief from either standard, valid up to three years. The director of transportation and environmental services administers the noise code under Sec. 11-5-8, with the fire marshal's office given concurrent enforcement authority over construction-related noise.