Clayton County, GA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Decibel threshold
- 110 decibels under Sec. 62-3.4(4)
- Applies to
- county- and school-facility activities only
- Measured
- at point of origin by parks & rec meter
- First violation
- warning only, no permit action
- Second violation
- permit revoked, activity must stop immediately
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine and 6 months jail
Summary
Clayton County sets no general decibel meter reading for everyday noise; Sec. 62-3.2 instead bans sound audible 50 feet from its source that disturbs a reasonable person. The code's one hard number, 110 decibels, applies narrowly under Sec. 62-3.4(4) to permitted activities on county or school athletic facilities and other publicly owned property.
Provided further that this exception for activities on or in county facilities or on or in county owned property and facilities shall not apply where the noise level for the activity measures 110 decibels or more between the hours of 8:01 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. or where the noise level for the activity measures 110 decibels or more between the hours of 9:01 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. In all cases the measurement shall be taken at the point of origin of the noise and with an instrument approved for such measurement by the director of parks and recreation. The first reading in violation of this part shall cause a warning to be issued to the activity. Any subsequent reading in violation of this part taken after the required warning has been issued shall result in the immediate revocation of any permit or other permission issued by the county for the activity and the activity must immediately cease and all participants disperse from county property. Failure to comply with any provisions of this part shall be a misdemeanor punishable as provided for in Part II, Chapter 1 "General Provisions" Section 1-12 "General Penalty" of the Clayton County Code of Ordinances.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 104).
Full Breakdown
Most of Chapter 62's noise rules use the reasonable-person and 50-foot audibility tests rather than a decibel meter, but the exceptions section, Sec. 62-3.4, carves out one quantified limit. County and school athletic facilities, and other publicly owned property and facilities, are normally exempt from the general noise prohibitions when their use has been authorized by the property's owner or agent. That exemption stops working, however, once the activity's sound measures 110 decibels or more, whether the reading is taken between 8:01 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. or between 9:01 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Either way the threshold is the same 110 decibels; the two time bands simply cover the full 24 hours.
The county measures compliance at the point where the noise originates, using an instrument approved by the director of parks and recreation, not at a neighbor's property line. Enforcement is graduated: the first reading of 110 decibels or more only triggers a warning to the activity's organizers. A second violation, once that warning has issued, results in immediate revocation of the activity's permit or other county permission, and the activity must stop immediately with all participants required to leave county property.
Because this 110-decibel ceiling lives inside the exceptions clause for county- and school-owned facilities, it does not create a general decibel table for residential zones, businesses, or private events; those situations remain governed by the audibility-based rules in Sec. 62-3.2 and 62-3.3. A permit holder who ignores the second warning risks losing the permit outright in addition to any misdemeanor citation.
Violations & Fines
Violating the 110-decibel ceiling after a warning has already issued means immediate revocation of the event permit, mandatory shutdown of the activity, and dispersal of participants from county property, on top of misdemeanor exposure under Sec. 1-12: up to a $1,000.00 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clayton County set a general decibel limit for noise?
What happens the first time a county-facility event hits 110 decibels?
What happens on a second 110-decibel violation?
Who measures the decibel level, and where?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clayton County
Compare Clayton County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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