Fort Smith does not have a decibel-based industrial noise ordinance. Industrial sound is managed primarily through the Unified Development Ordinance (Chapter 27 - UDO), which separates Industrial (I-1, I-2, etc.) districts from residential and commercial zones, and through the Chapter 16 nuisance code for off-site impacts. The Arkansas noise-pollution abatement statute (A.C.A. § 16-105-501 et seq.) provides a parallel civil-abatement tool.
Fort Smith is a significant manufacturing and logistics hub along the Arkansas River - the Chaffee Crossing Industrial Park, the Mars Petcare, Gerdau, and various river-port facilities are among the largest noise generators in the metro area. The city's primary tool for managing industrial noise is the Unified Development Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 27), which lays out the Industrial Zoning Districts and the performance standards an industrial use must meet to operate. Where industrial noise crosses zoning boundaries and becomes a continuing disturbance in adjacent residential neighborhoods, the Neighborhood Services Division can open a Chapter 16 nuisance case and issue a written abatement order (seven-day correction window). At the state level, A.C.A. § 16-105-501 et seq. (Noise Pollution Abatement) provides a civil framework for declaring noise a public nuisance subject to abatement by injunction; sport shooting ranges have specific protections under § 16-105-502. The Fort Smith Police Department can also issue an A.C.A. § 5-71-207 disorderly-conduct citation against a specific person responsible for unreasonable noise (most commonly used against amplified-music events, less often against fixed industrial equipment). Industrial users near the airport are additionally subject to the Military Compatibility Area Overlay District (MCAOD) adopted in June 2024, which imposes setbacks and use restrictions inside designated noise and safety zones around Ebbing ANG Base.
Chapter 16 abatement: written notice, 7-day window, then criminal citation and city-cost abatement up to the statutory cap of $1,000 / offense. Chapter 27 UDO zoning enforcement can include stop-work orders, denial of certificate of occupancy, and revocation of conditional-use approvals. A.C.A. § 16-105-501 civil actions can result in injunctive relief - including limits on operating hours - issued by a circuit court. A.C.A. § 5-71-207 citations against individual operators are Class C misdemeanors.
Fort Smith, AR
Swimming pools in Fort Smith must comply with the 2021 International Residential Code (Appendix G) and the Arkansas Pool Safety Act (A.C.A. 20-26-301 et seq....
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith's Chapter 27 UDO lists allowed residential fence materials (wood, metal tubing, wrought iron, stone, masonry, chain link, and listed vinyl/composi...
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith's Chapter 27 UDO does not require neighbor consent to build a fence; the owner only needs to stay on their own property and meet the city's height...
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith requires a building permit for any fence taller than 6 feet, issued by the Building Safety Division at 623 Garrison Avenue. Shorter fences must st...
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith's Unified Development Ordinance (Chapter 27, including Article 27-700 General Standards and Article 27-400 Zoning Districts) generally caps reside...
Fort Smith, AR
Fort Smith's Code of Ordinances does not impose a single fixed numerical cap on household dogs and cats, but Section 4-108 (effective July 17, 2023) requires...
See how Fort Smith's industrial noise rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.