Forsyth County sets no separate industrial decibel standard; commercial and industrial noise falls under Sec. 15-1's general prohibition on disturbing a reasonable person. Winston-Salem also has no numeric industrial table, relying on the same reasonable-person and plainly-audible tests plus zoning.
There is no industry-specific noise section in the codified county or Winston-Salem noise chapters. Commercial and industrial operations must avoid producing or emitting noise that disturbs or frightens individuals and is detrimental to health, safety or welfare under county Sec. 15-1(a). Within Winston-Salem, the general residential-sounds rules (Sec. 46-5) and, for establishments in entertainment districts, Sec. 46-7 apply. Farm and emergency operations are exempt at the county level. Land-use compatibility and buffers between industrial and residential uses are handled primarily through the Forsyth County-Winston-Salem Unified Development Ordinances (UDO) rather than a decibel ordinance.
Class 3 misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4, fine up to $500; county may also recover a civil penalty as a debt.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Home backyard composting is allowed in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. There is no ordinance requiring or banning it, but a compost pile must not become a nuis...
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Neither Winston-Salem nor Forsyth County has a specific ordinance banning or mandating artificial turf for home lawns. Its use is governed by general zoning,...
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Since 2024 Winston-Salem lets residents replace lawns with registered Natural Landscape Areas of native plants. Turf grass must stay under eight inches, area...
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Collecting rainwater is legal in North Carolina, and no county or city may prohibit cisterns or rain barrels used for irrigation. Forsyth County sets no ban....
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North Carolina has no statewide homeowner watering ban, and there is no permanent year-round schedule in Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Mandatory odd/even watering d...
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Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untende...
See how Forsyth County's industrial noise rules stack up against other locations.
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