Mobile, AL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 85 db(a), 6a-10p
- Nighttime limit
- 50 db(a), 10p-6a
- Measured at
- Residential property line
- Meter standard
- ANSI S1.4/S1.43, checked yearly
Summary
Mobile, Alabama (Mobile County) caps sound-producing devices in residential districts at 85 db(a) from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. and 50 db(a) overnight, measured at the property line.
during the hours from 6:00 am. to 10:00 p.m.:1.It is plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet or more from any property line within a residential district or upon any public street or right-of-way within, or bordering upon, any residential district within the corporate limits of the city; or2.It creates any noise which exceeds eighty-five (85) db(a) at any property line within a residential district or upon any public street or right-of-way within, or bordering upon, any residential district within the corporate limits of the city.b.Use, operate, or permit to be used or operated, any device, radio, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, sound amplifying equipment or device which produces or reproduces sound, either stationary or mobile, in such a manner that, during the hours from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 am.:1.It is plainly audible at a distance of twenty-five (25) feet or more from any property line within a residential district or upon any public street or right-of-way within, or bordering upon, any residential district within the corporate limits of the city; or2.It creates any noise which exceeds fifty (50) db(a) at any property line within a residential district or upon any public street or right-of-way within, or bordering upon, any residential district within the corporate limits of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 39-96.1(c)(2)a-b bars operating a device, radio, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, or sound-amplifying equipment in a residential district so it exceeds eighty-five (85) db(a) at any property line between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or exceeds fifty (50) db(a) at any property line between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Compliance is measured with a decibel meter meeting ANSI S1.4/S1.43 standards, rechecked annually for accuracy. The same conduct is independently unlawful if plainly audible 50 feet (day) or 25 feet (night) from the property line, whichever standard is easier to prove.
Violations & Fines
Violating either the daytime (85 db(a)) or nighttime (50 db(a)) limit is unlawful and a nuisance under Sec. 39-96.1, enforced under the city's general penalty chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the decibel limit for noise in a Mobile residential neighborhood?
Do I need a decibel meter to prove a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile
Compare Mobile to another location·View the Alabama noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.