Richmond, VA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Homes/duplexes
- 65 dBA day, 55 dBA night (7am-11pm/11pm-7am)
- Restaurants/bars
- 80 dBA day, 75 dBA night
- Schools
- 65 dBA flat during class hours
- Buskers
- 75 dBA day, 65 dBA night at 10 ft
- First violation
- $100 civil penalty
Summary
Richmond sets numeric sound ceilings by property type in Sec. 11-37: 65 dBA measured anywhere on a house or duplex lot between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., dropping to 55 dBA overnight, with separate thresholds for apartments, schools, places of worship, health care facilities, restaurants and street performers. Police enforce the limits with calibrated sound meters on complaint only.
No person shall operate a device or otherwise create sound which, when measured from any point on a property containing a house or a duplex, exceeds 65 dBA between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. or 55 dBA between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-37 lays out a property-by-property dBA table rather than one citywide number. m. Multifamily units are measured differently, from four feet inside the receiving unit with doors and windows closed, at the same 65/55 dBA split. Schools are flat-capped at 65 dBA during class hours with no time split. Places of worship and health care facilities get the 65/55 dBA split but only if they post a visible sign identifying the quiet zone. Restaurants and bars are allowed louder, 80 dBA daytime and 75 dBA overnight, dropping to the residential 65/55 dBA figures if adjacent to residentially-zoned property.
Buskers and outdoor musicians are capped at 75/65 dBA measured ten feet from the source. Vehicle radios and horns must not be plainly audible 50 feet from a parked vehicle. The Chief of Police enforces all of these using sound level meters tested under standards required by Sec. 11-35, and investigations begin only after a call for service to the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the applicable dBA figure at any property type is a Sec. 11-38 civil violation: $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within seven days, $500 for a third or later within 14 days, with each hour of continuing excess sound a separate offense collectible by warrant in debt in General District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum noise level allowed at a Richmond house?
Are Richmond's noise limits the same for every property type?
How does Richmond measure decibels for enforcement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richmond
Compare Richmond to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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