Pitt County, NC Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Pitt County Noise Ordinance Section 5; Table I
- Residential limit
- 55 dBA day / 50 dBA night
- Multi-dwelling-unit limit
- 45 dBA day / 40 dBA night
- Commercial limit
- 65 dBA at all times
- Industrial limit
- 75 dBA at all times
- Meter standard
- ANSI S1.4-1971 Type 1/2
Summary
Pitt County's Noise Ordinance caps sound at the receiving property line using Table I, a grid of maximum decibel levels by property type and time of day. Section 5(A) makes exceeding those numbers a violation regardless of the source, with residential limits as low as 40 dBA overnight and industrial property allowed up to 75 dBA at all times.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on a particular category of property or any public space or right-of-way in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the particular sound level limits set forth in Table 1, hereto attached and made a part hereof, when measured at or within the property line of the receiving property or the source of the complaint.
Full Breakdown
' Table I sets six limits based on where the sound lands and what time it is. m. Sound reaching a residential property from that same multi-dwelling source is capped at 55 dBA daytime and 50 dBA overnight; ordinary residential-to-residential sound uses the same 55/50 split. Sound reaching a residential property from a commercial or industrial source, or from a public space or right-of-way, is capped at 65 dBA daytime and 50 dBA overnight. Commercial receiving property is capped at 65 dBA and industrial receiving property at 75 dBA, both around the clock with no nighttime reduction.
Section 5(B) requires that when a complaint involves noise inside a dwelling unit of a multi-dwelling building, all exterior doors and windows must be closed and the reading taken in the center of the complainant's room. 4-1971 Type 1 or Type 2 standards, and may grant variance permits on application. S. Section 14-4 with a fine up to $400, and Section 9 layers civil penalties of $100, $200 and $400 for a first, second and each later violation.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the applicable Table I decibel limit is a Section 5 violation carrying a $100 civil penalty the first time, $200 the second time, and $400 for every violation after that, or prosecution as a misdemeanor under N.C.G.S. Section 14-4 with a fine up to $400. Readings taken inside a multi-dwelling unit must be measured with exterior doors and windows closed, per Section 5(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the decibel limit for my neighborhood in Pitt County?
How does Pitt County measure noise for a decibel complaint?
Are commercial and industrial areas held to the same decibel limit as homes in Pitt County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pitt County
Compare Pitt County to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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