Chesapeake, VA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential max level
- 55 dBA
- Commercial/agricultural max
- 60 dBA
- Measurement standard
- ANSI type 1/2 sound level meter
- Meter calibration validity
- 12 months maximum
- Measured from
- Complaining/receiving property's zoning
- First-offense penalty
- $250.00 civil
Summary
Chesapeake caps sound at 55 dBA measured on residential property, and 60 dBA on commercial or agricultural property, using a certified sound level meter, under Sec. 26-130. Levels are checked from the complaining property's zoning district.
Unless otherwise specifically stated herein, a measurement exceeding the noise spectra limit set forth in the maximum overall sound pressure level in the dBA column (Column 1) or the maximum octave band sound pressure level in the dB column of Table I below shall be deemed a violation of this article...(b)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subsection (a) of this section, no person shall operate or cause to be operated any source of sound at any location within the city or allow the creation of any noise on property he or she owns, leases, occupies or otherwise controls, which causes the sound level, measured on any other property, to exceed the maximum dBA (Column 1) or maximum dB (Column 3) sound pressure levels set out in Table 1 below. || Table 1: Residential 55 dBA overall (70/69/64/59/53/47/42/38/35 dB octave bands 31.5-8,000 Hz); Commercial 60 dBA overall (75/74/69/64/58/52/47/43/40 dB); Agricultural 60 dBA overall (75/74/69/64/58/52/47/43/40 dB).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 26-130 sets numeric limits for noise not already covered by the per se curfew violations of Secs. 26-124 through 26-126. Subsection (b) states no person may operate a sound source that causes the sound level, measured on any other property, to exceed the maximum dBA or dB levels in Table 1. 5 Hz on residential land, dropping to 35 dB at 8,000 Hz). Subsection (a) requires the administrator to use a type 1 or type 2 sound level meter meeting American National Standards Institute specifications, calibrated and tested within the prior 12 months, with the police chief responsible for maintaining the equipment.
A properly calibrated reading by a law enforcement officer is "prima facie evidence of the decibel level of the sound" in court. Subsection (d) measures from the complaining property, or any property where the noise can be heard, using the zoning classification of that receiving property, not the source property, to select which limit in Table 1 applies. Sec. 26-129 confirms the meter is used specifically for noises other than the per se acts already listed in Secs. 26-124 through 26-126.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the Table 1 limit is a $250.00 civil penalty for a first offense and $500.00 for a repeat offense from the same facts under Sec. 26-131(a), or a class 4 misdemeanor fined up to $250.00 under Sec. 26-131(b). Civil summonses do not apply to railroad, licensed mining, or industrial-property noise sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum noise level allowed at a Chesapeake home?
Is the decibel limit higher for commercial and agricultural property?
How does the city measure decibel violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesapeake
Compare Chesapeake to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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