Highlands County, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential/agricultural limit
- 65 dBA day, 60 dBA night
- Commercial/industrial limit
- 75 dBA day and night
- Multifamily interior limit
- 55 dBA day, 45 dBA night
- Vessel limit
- 90 dBA at 50 feet, § 5.6-106(d)
- Measurement standard
- ANSI A-weighted meter, § 5.6-109
Summary
Highlands County caps ambient plus source sound at 65 dBA daytime and 60 dBA nighttime in residential and agricultural districts, and 75 dBA around the clock in commercial and industrial districts, under Table I of section 5.6-106. Multifamily units get a stricter interior standard of 55 dBA day and 45 dBA night between units.
(b)Maximum sound level generated across real property lines. The sound from any activity or from any permissible use of property within the applicable zoning district classifications of Highlands County or from the use of any vessel or other watercraft on the waters of Highlands County shall be deemed excessive, unnecessary, offensive or unusually loud if the total sound level due to both ambient sound and the alleged source of the excessive, unnecessary, offensive or unusually loud sound exceeds the sound levels prescribed in Table I of this section as measured in decibels on the A-Scale from the receiving property. TABLE I. APPLICABLE SOUND LIMITS Sound level in Decibels A-Scale (DBA)
Zoning District Day 6:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m. Night 9:00 p.m.—6:00 a.m.
Agricultural 65 60 Residential 65 60 Commercial or Business 75 75 Industrial or Manufacturing 75 75
Full Breakdown
6-106 of the Highlands County Code sets the numeric backbone of the county's noise ordinance. in agricultural and residential zoning districts, and 75 dBA around the clock in commercial or business and industrial or manufacturing districts. A separate Table II in subsection (c) governs sound crossing between units inside a multifamily building: 55 dBA during the day and 45 dBA at night. 60(1), of 90 dBA measured 50 feet from a boat operating on Highlands County waters. 6-109: a code enforcement officer uses an ANSI-compliant, A-weighted sound level meter, calibrated before and after each reading, positioned outdoors at least four feet above ground and ten feet from any wall or obstruction, or three feet from a wall or partition for an interior multifamily reading. 6-105. 6-110, with each day of exceedance a separate infraction.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the Table I limits, 65/60 dBA residential and agricultural, 75/75 dBA commercial and industrial, or the 55/45 dBA interior multifamily limits in Table II, is prima facie evidence of a noise violation under section 5.6-106(a). A code enforcement officer or the Sheriff's Office documents the reading with a calibrated ANSI sound level meter under section 5.6-109 and can issue a Class I civil infraction under section 5.6-110(c), with each day of exceedance counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the daytime noise limit in a Highlands County residential neighborhood?
Do I need a decibel reading to file a noise complaint in unincorporated Highlands County?
What noise limit applies to boats on Highlands County lakes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Highlands County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Highlands County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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