Under the re-enacted Prince William County Code § 14-4 (eff. May 1, 2026), maximum sound levels measured at the property line are: Residential and Mixed Use 60 dBA day / 55 night, Commercial and Office 65 / 60, and Industrial 79 / 72 (dBA, Leq).
Section 14-4 Table 1 sets maximum permissible equivalent continuous sound levels (Leq) by the zoning district where the measurement is taken: Residential 60 dBA daytime / 55 nighttime; Mixed Use District 60 / 55; Commercial 65 / 60; Office 65 / 60; Industrial 79 / 72. Where a source crosses zones, the most restrictive limit applies. 'Daytime' is 7 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays (9 a.m. on weekends/holidays); nighttime is all other hours. A separate steady-tonal-sound limit for residential zones is 73 dB(C) daytime and 68 dB(C) nighttime. Air conditioners, heat pumps and radon systems are exempt from nighttime limits.
Exceeding the limits is a Class 4 misdemeanor (first offense) or Class 3 within 365 days; a civil penalty up to $250/$500 may be imposed instead, except for industrial or railroad business noise.
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See how Prince William County's decibel limits rules stack up against other locations.
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