Charleston County, SC Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Charleston County, SC, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Governing section
- Charleston County Code §3-43(c)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail
- Daytime-only exemptions
- Farming, timber, construction, lawn tools
- Overnight exemptions kept
- Emergency alarms/sirens, permitted events
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Unincorporated Charleston County bars any excessive, unnecessary or unreasonable sound that is plainly audible between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., under Sec. 3-43(c). The curfew applies on top of the county's 70 dBA/500-foot daytime standard and carries the same misdemeanor penalty.
(a)Any excessive, unnecessary, or unreasonable sound that is plainly audible as set forth in sections 3-41 and 3-42 of this Code which endangers or injures the safety or health of humans or animals, or annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensibilities is prohibited.(b)Any excessive, unnecessary, or unreasonable sound that is plainly audible within 500 feet of the property line of a residentially developed parcel or above 70 dBA is prohibited.(c)Any excessive, unnecessary, or unreasonable sound that is plainly audible between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is prohibited. (Ord. No. 1702, § V, 10-25-11; Ord. No. 2231, § II(Exh. A), 9-20-22; Ord. No. 2232, § II(Exh. A), 9-20-22)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 3-43(c) of the Charleston County Code, enacted by Ord. No. 2231 and Ord. No. is prohibited, independent of the 70 dBA/500-foot daytime test in Sec. 3-43(b). 'Plainly audible' carries the same Sec. 3-40 definition, so a sound a person can detect with unaided hearing is enough to violate the curfew, no meter needed. The nighttime window matters most for the exemptions in Sec. m. Only a narrower list keeps working overnight: emergency sirens and alarms (burglar alarms become unlawful after 15 minutes unattended), warning devices required by state or federal law, emergency maintenance or repair work, and government-sponsored or permitted public events.
Sec. 3-45 sets a single penalty for the whole article, and Sec. 3-46 lets a neighbor who is specifically harmed sue independently in magistrate or circuit court to abate a nighttime disturbance as a nuisance.
Violations & Fines
A sound plainly audible between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is a misdemeanor under Sec. 3-45, punishable on conviction by up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both, the same penalty that applies to a daytime decibel violation. Charleston County Code Enforcement and Sheriff's deputies field nighttime complaints, and Sec. 3-46 additionally lets an affected neighbor pursue a private abatement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the quiet hours in unincorporated Charleston County?
Can construction crews work past 10 p.m. under a noise exemption?
What noise is still allowed overnight?
What is the penalty for violating the nighttime noise curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston County
How Charleston County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Charleston County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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