Gwinnett County, GA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 500 ft, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
- Nighttime limit
- 200 ft overnight
- Applies to
- nonresidential zoning districts
- Coverage
- unincorporated Gwinnett only
Summary
In unincorporated Gwinnett County, sound from any building in a nonresidential zoning district may not be plainly audible beyond 500 feet by day or 200 feet overnight.
Making, causing, allowing, or permitting any sound from a source within such person's ownership or control that projects, emits or transmits from any building in a nonresidential zoning district so that the sound is plainly audible to any person at the times and distances set forth in the table below... Sunday-Thursday 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. 500 feet or more; 11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. 200 feet or more.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
County code treats sound from offices, retail, warehouses and other nonresidential buildings as a noise disturbance once it is plainly audible at 500 feet or more during 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. (weeknights until 11:59 p.m. Fri-Sat), or 200 feet or more overnight. Doors used for normal ingress/egress are exempt, but they cannot be propped open to leak sound, and outdoor speakers within 20 feet of a doorway must face away from it. Enforced by County Police and the Department of Planning and Development.
Violations & Fines
First violation draws a written warning; a second within 12 months is a $250 fine, a third is $500, and later violations run up to $1,000 each.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Lawrenceville or Duluth?
Can a business get relief for a loud event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gwinnett County
Compare Gwinnett County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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