Boynton Beach, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential exterior, Sun.-Thurs. 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
- 60 dBA (L10)
- Residential exterior overnight
- 55 dBA (L10)
- Residential interior overnight, Sun.-Thurs.
- 45 dBA (L10)
- Commercial exterior / interior, all times
- 65 dBA / 55 dBA
- Maximum level above L10 limit
- 10 dBA 7-11 p.m.; 5 dBA 11 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Pure tone or impulse noise
- Limits reduced by 5 dBA
- Minimum measurement period
- 10 minutes
Summary
Boynton Beach caps residential exterior noise at 60 dBA from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 55 dBA overnight. Commercial receiving property gets 65 dBA outside and 55 dBA inside at all times. The limits are L10 levels, exceeded for no more than ten percent of a measurement period of at least ten minutes, read on a fast-response meter.
(b) L10 noise and sound level limits. Permissible noise and sound levels for noises or sounds transmitted to receiving land use areas shall not exceed the following limits for L10 sound or noise levels ... determined using FAST meter responses: Receiving Land Use Emanating Land Use Category Time Level Limit L10 Sound Residential Exterior Sun. - Thurs. 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. 60 (dB)A L10 Sound Residential Exterior Fri. & Sat. and holidays 11:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. 55 (dB)A L10 Sound Residential Exterior Sun. - Thurs. 12:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. 55 (dB)A L10 Sound Commercial Exterior At all times 65 (dB)A L10 Sound Residential Interior Sun. - Thurs. 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 50 (dB)A L10 Sound Residential Interior Fri. & Sat. and holidays 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. 50 (dB)A L10 Sound Residential Interior Sun. - Thurs. 12:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. 45 (dB)A L10 Sound Commercial Interior At all times 55 (dB)A (c) Maximum sound and noise level limits. The maximum sound and noise level from any applicable sound and noise sources shall not exceed the L10 sound and noise level limits by more than the values listed below: 10 (dB) A from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. 5 (dB) A from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Section 15-8.8(a) bars operating any source of sound listed in section 15-8.5(b), unless exempted by section 15-8.6, so that the exterior or interior level at the receiving property exceeds the limit for the receiving land use for more than ten percent of a measurement period. The measurement period cannot be shorter than ten minutes, and the reading is taken at or within the boundaries of the property receiving the sound, or inside a building there, with the source located on some other property. Subsection (b) sets the numbers by receiving land use.
Outdoors at a residence the table lists 60 dBA from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 55 dBA from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and holidays, and 55 dBA from 12:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. Indoors at a residence the limit is 50 dBA from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 50 dBA from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and holidays, and 45 dBA from 12:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Commercial property is held to 65 dBA outdoors and 55 dBA indoors at all times. Subsection (c) lets the maximum level run above the L10 limit by 10 dBA from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and by 5 dBA from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Subsection (d) cuts both the L10 and maximum limits by 5 dBA for a source that emits a pure tone or an impulse noise such as a firearm discharge. Under subsection (e), when a source can be measured in more than one land use designation, the most restrictive district's limit applies at the boundary.
Under subsection (f), anyone contesting the equivalent sound level must prove the actual level by clear and convincing evidence. Section 15-8.9 requires measurement by the code enforcement division or Police Department, at about five feet above the ground, for at least ten minutes, by personnel trained in a noise measurement program.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under sections 15-8 through 15-8.9 is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable by a fine and/or incarceration as provided by law, and the City of Boynton Beach Code Compliance Board has authority and jurisdiction to prosecute. Each complaint is a separate offense. The separate sound control ordinance at section 15-10.7 sets fines of $50, $100 and $500 for first, second and third violations, with each calendar day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the loudest a neighbor can be in Boynton Beach during the day?
What does L10 mean in the Boynton Beach noise code?
Are the limits lower late at night?
Does a barking dog or loud engine get measured in decibels?
Who measures the noise and how?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boynton Beach
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