Wellington, FL Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential fixed equipment
- 60 dBA, any time
- Residential other sources, evening
- 55 dBA, 8pm-11pm
- Residential other sources, overnight
- 50 dBA, 11pm-7am
- Commercial land
- 70 dBA, any time
- Measurement
- 10-min minimum period, property line
- Warning notice
- Not required before citation
Summary
Wellington's Code of Ordinances sets numeric sound limits in Sec. 13-8, Table A: residential fixed mechanical equipment is capped at 60 dBA any time, other residential sources at 55 dBA from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 50 dBA overnight, and commercial sources at 70 dBA at all times, measured at the property line.
E. No person shall operate, or cause to be operated, any source of sound from any location in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the limits set forth in Table A for inhabited residential and commercial land by more than ten percent of any measurement period, where the period shall not be less than ten minutes when measured at or within the boundary of the receiving property. ... Table A. ... Sound Levels—Source and Limits Receiving Land - Use Noise Source Time of Day Sound Level Limit Residential Fixed mechanical equipment Any time 60 dBA 60 dBA Residential All other sources 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. 55 dBA 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 50 dBA Commercial All sources Any time 70 dBA
Full Breakdown
Section 13-8 of the Village of Wellington Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful for any person or business to cause sound crossing a property line that is either unreasonably loud or that exceeds the numeric caps in Table A by more than ten percent of a measurement period, which cannot be shorter than ten minutes. Measurements are taken with a Type 2 or equivalent sound level meter using the ANSI A-weighting scale, at or beyond the real property line, roughly five feet above ground; for an elevated or directional source, compliance must hold at any elevation at the property line.
Table A splits limits by receiving land use: residential land gets 60 dBA any time for fixed mechanical equipment like an air conditioner, generator, pump, or fan, 55 dBA for all other sources between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., and 50 dBA from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; commercial land is held to 70 dBA at any time. Section 13-6 exempts road vehicles under F.S. ch. 316, emergency work, government-authorized activity on public land, non-amplified crowd noise at sporting events, and golf course maintenance equipment run between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Property owners and vacation-rental representatives are responsible for violations on their property even if they are not the source, per subsection A.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 13-8(C), Wellington waives any requirement for a warning notice before a citation issues; a code compliance officer or Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy under contract may cite on first detection. Noise violations under Sections 13-7 and 13-8 run through the citation/special magistrate schedule in Sec. 2-47, capped at $500.00 per Sec. 2-49; a contested citation goes to Palm Beach County Court, where refusing to sign a citation is a second-degree misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime decibel limit in a Wellington residential neighborhood?
Can Wellington code compliance ticket me without a warning first?
What decibel limit applies to a Wellington business or nightclub?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wellington
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Wellington to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle decibel limits.