Palm Coast, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Many Florida cities publish a dB(A)-by-zone table (e.g., 60 dB residential day / 55 dB night). Palm Coast chose a qualitative 'plainly audible / loud and raucous' approach instead. Code of Ordinances Chapter 35, Art. II, Div. 2 contains no decibel table. Sec. 35-51 defines 'loud and raucous noise' as 'any sound which, because of its volume level, duration and nature, annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, health, peace or safety of reasonable persons of ordinary sensibilities within the City' - and that definition expressly applies to noise heard 'from any location not less than 50 feet from the source of any noise' in public streets, parks, schools/public buildings in use, churches or medical facilities in use, parking lots open to the public, or in occupied residential units that are not the source. This means Palm Coast deputies and Code Enforcement officers do not need to take a sound-meter reading on scene - they evaluate by ear from 50+ feet whether the sound annoys or disturbs reasonable persons. Sec. 35-54 exempts certain sound sources (notably air conditioners with manufacturer's standard mufflers in proper operating condition). Project-specific PUD orders, site-plan conditions, and certain entertainment-venue approvals may impose numeric dB caps as conditions of approval, but those are not part of the citywide code. The brochure-published 6 p.m.-7 a.m. construction-noise window operates as a time-of-day overlay on the qualitative standard.