Montgomery County, VA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential daytime limit
- 57 dB(A), 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Residential nighttime limit
- 52 dB(A), 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Business zone limit
- 67 dB(A) day / 62 dB(A) night
- Industrial (M-1) limit
- 77 dB(A) at all hours
- Enforcing agency
- County Sheriff's Office
- Measurement point
- Property boundary of the source
Summary
Montgomery County caps stationary noise sources by zone and time of day: 57 dB(A) daytime and 52 dB(A) nighttime in residential and agricultural zones, higher in business and industrial zones. The sheriff's office enforces the limits countywide outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
Sec 7-80 Maximum Permissible Sound Pressure Levels It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or permit to be operated any stationary noise source in such a manner as to create a sound pressure level which exceeds the limits set forth in the table below when measured at the property boundary of the noise source or at any point within any other property affected by the noise. ... Sound Level Limit dB(A) Receiving Land Use 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. C-1, Residential and Agricultural Zones, A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, RM-1, PD-R, PMR
57 52 Business-Zones GB, CB 67 62 Industrial-Zone M-1 77 77
Full Breakdown
Sec 7-80 of the county code makes it unlawful to operate a stationary noise source that exceeds the sound pressure levels set in its table, measured at the property boundary of the source or at any point on another property affected by the noise. m. Business zones (GB, CB) allow 67 dB(A) daytime and 62 dB(A) nighttime, and the M-1 industrial zone allows 77 dB(A) around the clock. Where a noise source can be measured in more than one zoning classification, the most restrictive limit governs.
This sits inside a broader noise article: Sec 7-77 separately bars a radio, television or other sound device that is plainly audible across a property line, through a shared residence wall, or at fifty feet from a vehicle, and Sec 7-79 lets the Board of Supervisors designate a 'quiet zone' by ordinance after a public hearing, with signs posted on adjacent streets. Sec 7-73 gives enforcement to the county sheriff, who may issue orders and prescribe measurement procedures. Sec 7-74 exempts emergency alerting and emergency work from the whole article. The stationary-source table traces to Ord. No. 1-8), adopted January 4, 1982, and has not been renumbered since.
Violations & Fines
Violating the article is enforced by the Sheriff's Office, which sets its own measurement procedures under Sec 7-73. Because the specific-prohibitions section (7-77) is expressly non-exclusive of the general nuisance-noise ban in Sec 7-76, a stationary source under the dB(A) table can still be cited under the general nuisance provision even if the meter reading is close to the line. There is no fixed civil-penalty figure printed in this article; enforcement runs through the county's general penalty and nuisance-abatement processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime noise limit in a Montgomery County subdivision?
Does the industrial zone have a nighttime cutback?
Who enforces the county's noise table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.