Clarksville, TN Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential day cap
- 70 dB(A), 6 a.m.-midnight
- Residential night cap
- 65 dB(A), midnight-6 a.m.
- Commercial/industrial day cap
- 80 dB(A)
- Impulsive sound cap
- 80 dB(A) at any hour
- Repeat violations
- new offense every 30 minutes
Summary
Clarksville's noise ordinance caps sound measured at a complainant's property line by land use and hour: 70 dB(A) from residential sources by day, dropping to 65 dB(A) overnight, versus 80 dB(A) for commercial and industrial sources with a lower nighttime ceiling.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit sound from any source which is in excess of the following standards when measured from, at, or within the real property boundary... (1)Residential use.a.When the offending sound emanates from a residential use between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and midnight, sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of seventy (70) dB(A), or impulsive sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of eighty (80) dB(A).b.When the offending sound emanates from a residential use between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m., sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of sixty-five (65) dB(A)...(2)Commercial use.a....eighty (80) dB(A)...(3)Industrial use.a.When the offending sound emanates from an industrial use between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of eighty (80) dB(A)...b....between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of seventy-five (75) dB(A).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 110 Update 2 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-303 sets objective A-weighted decibel limits rather than a vague nuisance standard. ; impulsive sound, defined elsewhere in the chapter as short bursts like an explosion or drop-forge impact, tops out at 80 dB(A) at any hour. , both stepping down at night. Sound on public premises such as streets, sidewalks, and parks is capped separately at 65 dB(A), with an exemption for government operations and city-permitted concerts and festivals. Readings are taken about five feet above grade with a slow meter response and a wind screen when needed.
Anyone whose sound stays within these numbers is expressly protected: section 10-303(d) states compliance means no liability under the chapter's general nuisance-noise section, 10-304, giving property owners and businesses an objective safe harbor rather than leaving enforcement to an officer's subjective judgment of what counts as too loud.
Violations & Fines
A reading above the applicable dB(A) ceiling for the use and time of day is itself the violation under section 10-303; no separate finding of annoyance is required the way it is under the chapter's general nuisance-noise section 10-304. Section 10-306 makes each violation a separate offense, and a violation that continues past, or recurs within, thirty minutes counts as a fresh offense for every half-hour block, so a sustained overnight party or idling generator can rack up multiple citations in a single night.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the residential noise limit in Clarksville at night?
Are commercial and industrial properties held to the same limit as homes?
Does staying under the decibel limit protect me from a noise complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarksville
Compare Clarksville to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview
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