Deerfield Beach, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential limit (day)
- 60 dBA, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Residential limit (night)
- 55 dBA, 9 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Commercial limit day/night
- 65 dBA / 60 dBA
- Industrial & agricultural limit
- 70 dBA day, 65 dBA night
- Institutional limit
- 55 dBA day, 50 dBA night
- Short-burst allowance
- +15 dB for sounds under 1 minute
Summary
Deerfield Beach caps outdoor sound at the property line of the zone receiving it, with separate daytime and nighttime decibel ceilings for institutional, residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural land under Sec. 34-36's Table 1. Limits drop by 5 dBA every night at 9:00 p.m. and climb back at 7:00 a.m.
Maximum permissible sound levels by receiving land use. It shall be unlawful to operate or cause to be operated any source of sound or to project a sound or noise across a real property boundary in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth for the receiving land use designation in Table 1 when measured at or within the property line of the receiving land use designation. TABLE 1 Zoning Designation Time Maximum Noise Levels Institutional 7:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. 55 dBA includes the following designations: Community Facilities, Recreational, and Open Space 9:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m. 50 dBA Residential 7:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. 60 dBA Includes all Residential Categories and PUD 9:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m. 55 dBA Commercial 7:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. 65 dBA Industrial 7:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m. 70 dBA 9:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m. 65 dBA
Full Breakdown
Sec. 34-36 sets the city's numeric noise ceiling by receiving land use rather than by source, measured at or within the property line of whoever is hearing the sound. Institutional zones, which include Community Facilities, Recreational, and Open Space designations, are capped at 55 dBA from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and 50 dBA overnight. Residential zones, including all residential categories and PUDs, run 60 dBA by day and 55 dBA overnight; residential development sitting in an Agricultural zoning district is held to the residential thresholds rather than the looser agricultural ones. Commercial zones (B-1A, B-1, B-2, and B-3) allow 65 dBA by day and 60 dBA at night, while industrial and agricultural land both top out at 70 dBA by day and 65 dBA overnight.
Where a noise source sits on the boundary between two zoning designations, Sec. 34-36(2) applies the limit of the more restrictive district. The chapter also corrects for how long a sound lasts: a burst lasting one minute or less in an hour gets a 15 dB allowance added to the limit, five minutes or less gets a 10 dB allowance, and 15 minutes or less gets a 5 dB allowance, while a repetitive-impulse or pure-tone source is docked 5 dB from the limit (Table 2). Sound is measured over at least a continuous ten-minute period at the property boundary, or at the receiving unit itself in multifamily and duplex buildings. Sec. 34-33 defines dBA and decibel by reference to ANSI sound-meter standards, and a plainly audible sound is one an officer can hear at 50 feet or more using unaided hearing.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding Table 1's limits is enforced by a City of Deerfield Beach code enforcement officer or a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy, who measures sound with a calibrated meter under Sec. 34-33's ANSI standard. A violation of the noise chapter carries the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-15(d): up to a $500.00 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each continuing day counted as a separate offense. Property owners can seek a variance under Sec. 34-38.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime noise limit in a Deerfield Beach residential zone?
Does a commercial zone allow louder noise than a residential zone?
How does the city treat a noise source that only runs briefly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Deerfield Beach
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Deerfield Beach to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle decibel limits.