Decatur, GA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit (7am-9:59pm)
- 65 dB(A) at property line
- Nighttime limit (10pm-6:59am)
- 60 dB(A) at property line
- Absolute ceiling
- Base limit +15 dB(A), never exceeded
- Measurement
- ANSI A-weighted meter
- Tolerance
- Up to 20% of a 5+ min period
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine/6 months (§ 1-12)
Summary
The City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia caps sound at the property line to 65 dB(A) between 7:00 a.m. and 9:59 p.m. and 60 dB(A) between 10:00 p.m. and 6:59 a.m., under Code § 42-59(16)a, measured with an ANSI A-weighted sound meter.
b.For any source of sound, the sound level shall not exceed the maximum permissible sound level limit set forth in [subsection (16)] by 15 dB(A) for all land use categories. ... (16)Maximum permissible sound levels.a.No person shall operate or cause to be operated any source of sound from any location in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limit of 65 dB(A) between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:59 p.m. and the limit of 60 dB(A) between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. more than 20 percent of any measurement period, which period shall not be less than five minutes, or for more than one minute continuously, when measured from a stationary point of measurement at or beyond the property boundary of the property from which the sound emanates
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
, for more than 20 percent of a measurement period of at least five minutes, or for more than one minute continuously, measured from a stationary point at or beyond the property boundary of the source. For multifamily buildings, the reading is taken inside the adjacent dwelling unit rather than at the outdoor property line. Measurement must use a sound level meter on the A-weighting scale under American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, per § 42-59(16)b. A companion rule in § 42-59(14)b sets an absolute ceiling on top of that: no source may exceed the base limit by more than 15 dB(A) under any circumstance, meaning roughly 80 dB(A) in the daytime window and 75 dB(A) at night is the hard cap regardless of duration. on weekends.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the property-line limits in § 42-59(16) is enforced through § 42-56's general penalty, § 1-12: a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both, in municipal court, with continuing daily violations chargeable as separate offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Decatur's daytime noise limit at a property line?
What is the nighttime noise limit in Decatur?
Can noise ever briefly exceed the 65/60 dB(A) limits?
Is there an absolute ceiling no sound source can cross?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Decatur
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