Warner Robins, GA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Measurement method
- Audible distance, not a decibel meter
- Daytime threshold
- 300 feet, 7 a.m.-11 p.m./midnight
- Nighttime threshold
- 100 feet, 11 p.m./midnight-7 a.m.
- Multi-unit threshold
- 5 feet beyond shared unit wall
- Enforcing agency
- Warner Robins Police Department
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine, 12 months, or both
Summary
Warner Robins does not use a decibel meter for noise enforcement. Instead, Sec. 13-82 defines a 'plainly audible' standard: an officer's ear at a fixed minimum distance decides whether a sound violates the code, with that distance set at 300 feet by day and 100 feet at night under Sec. 13-83.
For the purposes of this section, "plainly audible" shall mean any sound emanating from the specific sound-producing sources set forth below which can be heard from the distances set forth below, using the following sound measurement standards: Measurement shall be by the auditory senses of a person standing at a distance no less than the required minimum distance from the source of the sound. For music and other noise, words and phrases need not be discernable. For music and other noise, bass reverberations are included. ... Restrictions of three hundred (300) feet for 7:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. through 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Rather than setting a dBA ceiling, the City of Warner Robins built its noise code around an audible-distance test. Sec. 13-82 instructs that measurement is made 'by the auditory senses of a person standing at a distance no less than the required minimum distance from the source of the sound,' and specifies that for music or other noise, 'words and phrases need not be discernable' and 'bass reverberations are included,' meaning a muffled bassline that carries far enough still counts. Sec. m. m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Inside apartments, condos, townhouses and duplexes with shared walls, the threshold drops further to 5 feet beyond the adjoining unit's property line. Because there is no meter reading to dispute, a Warner Robins Police Department officer's on-scene distance check is what determines a violation, and the same standard is applied whether the source is a stereo, a yelling match, or a commercial loudspeaker under Sec. 13-83(a)(3). Enforcement runs through the police department, and repeat calls to the same address can escalate to a municipal court abatement order under Sec. 13-88.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Article V is punished as a misdemeanor under Sec. 13-88, and the municipal court judge may separately order immediate abatement of the sound source. Because no specific fine is listed in Article V, sentencing falls under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7: a fine not exceeding $1,000.00, imprisonment not exceeding 12 months, or both, with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Warner Robins measure noise complaints in decibels?
How is 'plainly audible' decided if there's no meter?
Does the distance standard change for apartments?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Warner Robins
Compare Warner Robins to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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