Prince George's County sets numeric dBA noise limits by land-use category and time of day. Residential areas are capped at 65 dBA during the day and 55 dBA at night, measured at the receiving property.
County Code § 19-122(a) sets the maximum allowable noise levels in dBA for receiving land-use categories: industrial 75 day and 75 night; commercial 67 day and 62 night; residential 65 day and 55 night. Daytime is 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and nighttime is 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Prominent discrete tones or impulsive noise (such as weapons fire, pile drivers, or punch presses) must stay 5 dBA below the applicable limit. Low-frequency sound (20–200 Hz) may be measured in dBC. Certain equipment has its own caps: air-conditioning noise may not exceed 70 dBA and heat-pump noise 75 dBA at a receiving residential property. Sound crossing between residential and non-residential areas is held to the residential limit.
Exceeding the decibel limits can result in a civil citation or misdemeanor charge, up to $1,000 for a first offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses, with each day a separate violation.
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