Palm Coast, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential limit
- 60 dBA day, 55 dBA after 10 p.m.
- Commercial/tourist limit
- 65 dBA day, 60 dBA after 10 p.m.
- Manufacturing/agricultural limit
- 75 dBA at all times
- Marine limit
- 90 dBA at 50 feet from vessel
- Measurement rule
- 10+ minute period, at the property boundary
Summary
Palm Coast sets hard numeric noise caps in Sec. 35-53's Table I: 60 dBA by day and 55 dBA at night for residential property, 65/60 dBA for commercial and tourist uses, and a flat 75 dBA for manufacturing and agriculture. Boats on City waters are separately capped at 90 dBA at 50 feet.
(a)No person shall operate, or cause to be operated, any source of sound from any occupancy in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth for the use occupancy category in Table I, more than ten percent of any measurement period. The measurement period shall not be less than ten minutes when measured at or beyond the property boundary of the land use from which the sound emanates. TABLE I: Residential 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. 60 / After 10:00 p.m. to before 7:00 a.m. 55; Commercial or Tourist 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. 65 / After 10:00 p.m. to before 7:00 a.m. 60; Manufacturing At all times 75; Agricultural At all times 75. (c)No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of any vessel on any City waters in such a manner as to exceed a maximum sound level of 90 dBA at a distance of 50 feet from the vessel.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 | Land Development Code: Supplement 18).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 35-53(a) bars operating any sound source from an occupancy in a way that exceeds the limit set for its use category in Table I for more than ten percent of any measurement period, with the period never shorter than ten minutes and readings taken at or beyond the property boundary of the land use generating the sound. and 55 dBA overnight; commercial or tourist use (defined in subsection (b) as any premises with transient commercial sleeping quarters) is capped at 65 dBA by day and 60 dBA overnight; manufacturing and agricultural uses are both capped at a flat 75 dBA at all times, with no day/night split.
Subsection (c) adds a separate marine limit: no vessel on City waters may exceed 90 dBA measured at a distance of 50 feet from the vessel. Subsection (d) defines dBA as the A-weighted sound level, the standard unit of measurement used throughout the section. These numeric caps operate alongside, not instead of, the qualitative 'loud and raucous noise' prohibitions in Sec. 35-52, so a sound source can violate the ordinance either by exceeding its Table I limit or by meeting the separate loud-and-raucous standard, whichever applies first.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding a Table I limit is enforced by the City Manager or designee under Sec. 35-56 and is punishable by the Code's general penalty of up to $500.00 per violation under Sec. 1-15. Sec. 35-59 authorizes a court to confiscate the noise-making equipment after a third citation for the same violation within 12 months, with permanent confiscation possible for continued offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Palm Coast's decibel limit for a house?
Do businesses have a different noise limit than homes?
Is there a noise limit for boats?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Coast
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Coast to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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