Seminole County, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- LDC standard
- Sec. 30.1302, property-line measurement
- Residential low-freq cap
- 68 dB at 31.5 Hz
- Residential high-freq cap
- 17 dB at 8,000 Hz
- Commercial/industrial
- Higher limits apply
- Ch. 165 test
- Officer within 20 dB of normal (165.11)
Summary
Seminole County's Land Development Code (Sec. 30.1302) sets maximum sound levels measured at the property line, using octave-band decibel limits that fall from 68 dB at 31.5 Hz to 17 dB at 8,000 Hz along a residential boundary, and higher limits along commercial/industrial boundaries.
Sound levels may be measured at any point on the property line on which the use is located with a sound-level meter and associated octave-band filter manufactured according to standards prescribed by The American Standards Association.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
Unlike the complaint-based noise Chapter 165, the Land Development Code imposes numeric performance standards. Sec. 30.1302 requires every use to comply with maximum noise standards measured at the property line with a sound-level meter and octave-band filter. Along a property line abutting a residential district the limits by center frequency are: 31.5 Hz = 68 dB, 63 Hz = 66 dB, 125 Hz = 66 dB, 250 Hz = 59 dB, 500 Hz = 52 dB, 1,000 Hz = 46 dB, 2,000 Hz = 37 dB, 4,000 Hz = 26 dB, 8,000 Hz = 17 dB. Limits along a commercial/industrial boundary are higher. Under Ch. 165, officers measure noise with hearing within 20 dB of normal (165.11).
Violations & Fines
Land Development Code noise-standard violations are enforced through county code-enforcement / Chapter 53 procedures; noise-ordinance violations are penalized under Sec. 1.8 (165.61).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Seminole County have numeric decibel limits?
Where are decibels measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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