Asheville, NC Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- CBD daytime limit
- 72 dBA (7 a.m.-10 p.m.)
- CBD nighttime limit
- 67 dBA (10 p.m.-7 a.m.)
- Commercial district limit
- 65 dBA day / 57 dBA night
- Industrial district limit
- 70 dBA day / 65 dBA night
- Tonal/repetitive sound
- Additional 5 dB reduction, cumulative
- First violation penalty
- $100 civil penalty
Summary
Asheville caps outdoor sound at 72 dBA daytime and 67 dBA nighttime in the Central Business District, 65/57 dBA in commercial districts, and 70/65 dBA in industrial districts under City Code § 10-83, with extra cuts for tonal or repetitive noise.
(c) Unless otherwise specified, no person shall cause or allow the emission of any sound originating from a district which, when measured pursuant to section 10-84, exceeds the maximum decibel limits specified in Table 1. Table 1. Sound Level Limits: Originating District dB(A): CBD Commercial Industrial. Daytime, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM: 72 65 70. Nighttime, 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM: 67 57 65. (1) In Central Business (CBD) and Commercial Districts, daytime hours for sound level limits shall be 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday through Saturday. (2) In CBD, nighttime sound level limits shall be reduced by an additional five decibels between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. (3) The sound level limits shall be reduced by an additional five decibels for any source of sound emitting a pure tone, continuous sound, cyclically varying sound, or repetitive impulsive sound. (4) The decibel reductions provided herein are cumulative.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-5: Contains Supplement, current through Ordinance 5245, passed 7-28-2026 | State legislation current through 2025 A.L.S. #3).
Full Breakdown
; Commercial Districts are capped at 65 dBA daytime and 57 dBA nighttime; Industrial Districts at 70 dBA daytime and 65 dBA nighttime. m. Any sound that is a pure tone, continuous, cyclically varying, or a repetitive impulsive sound must be measured five decibels lower than the table limit, and these reductions stack cumulatively. Separately, § 10-83(a) and (b) flatly bar any "noise disturbance," defined by § 10-82 as sound that disturbs reasonable persons, harms public health, or endangers people or property, from originating in a Residential District or from any street, right-of-way, or public space, regardless of the decibel table.
Measurements under § 10-84 use a Class 1 or Class 2 sound level meter on the A-weighting scale, slow response, taken on the receiving property using a one-minute Leq interval. Venues can seek a Type 1, 2, or 3 sound exceedance permit under § 10-88 to exceed these limits for a limited number of event days per year, but even a permitted exceedance may never top 85 dBA Leq at an occupied residential dwelling.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the noise article carries a $100 civil penalty, rising to $200 for a second violation, $300 for a third, and $500 for a fourth or subsequent violation by the same person for the same activity within two years, per § 10-93. Operating without a required sound exceedance permit or violating a permit condition carries a separate $500 civil penalty per offense, and the city may also pursue equitable remedies under § 1-5(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum noise level allowed in Asheville's Central Business District?
Are Asheville's noise limits different in industrial areas?
What happens if a business exceeds Asheville's noise limits repeatedly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Asheville
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