Effingham County, GA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Sec. 30-37 measures sound at or within the real property line of the receiving property using a sound level meter's slow response setting, unless another setting is specified. Table 1 sets three tiers: residential, public space, institutional or noise-sensitive receiving property is limited to 60 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and 50 dBA between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.; commercial or business property is limited to 70 dBA by day and 60 dBA at night; and industrial or manufacturing property is capped at 80 dBA at all times.

Subsection (1) makes any sustained maximum of 80 dBA or above outside an industrial zoning an automatic violation regardless of the receiving-property category. Subsection (2) shifts the standard for impulsive sound: the fast response setting applies instead of slow response, and the daytime limit is raised by ten dBA. Subsection (3) applies the residential daytime and nighttime numbers, 60 dBA and 50 dBA, specifically inside multi-family dwellings, measured from the closest neighbor's unit. Sec. 30-36(b) ties the whole scheme together by presuming any noise that exceeds the Table 1 thresholds to be an unreasonably loud and raucous noise in violation of the article, subject to the factors in Sec.

30-36(a) such as proximity to sleeping areas, zoning, time of day, duration and whether the sound recurs. The zoning administrator and designated noise control officers, including code enforcement officers and sheriff's deputies, enforce these limits, and sound level meters must be recertified annually and field-checked before and after each set of measurements.