Lake County, FL Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Lake County, FL, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Standard
- No fixed decibel limit; case-by-case test
- Reach
- Covers noise from other counties detected here
- Liability
- Owner presumed responsible for noise on property
- First fine
- $150, rising to $450 on later repeats
- Contest cap
- Up to $500 by county court
- Citation
- Lake County Code § 14-34
Summary
Unincorporated Lake County bans excessive noise at any time of day or night: sound so loud, long or intense that it injures people, animals or property, unreasonably disturbs the community's peace, or is detectable by a considerable number of residents and interferes with health or safety. There's no set decibel number; enforcement weighs the source, time, zoning, and duration.
No person shall create, continue or cause to be created any excessive noise audible to persons within the unincorporated areas of Lake County, Florida. Excessive noise shall mean a noise that is: (1)Of such amount or of such duration, wave frequency or intensity as may be or is injurious to human or animal life or property;(2)Of such amount, level, duration or character as to annoy, disturb, injure or unreasonably interfere with or endanger the health, peace or comfortable enjoyment of life, property or the conduct of business; or(3)Of such character and in such quantity or level as to be detectible by a considerable number of persons or the public, so as to interfere with such persons or the public health, repose or safety, or to cause severe annoyance or discomfort; or which interferes with the normal conduct of business, or is otherwise detrimental or harmful to the health, comfort, living conditions, welfare and safety of the inhabitants of the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 150).
Full Breakdown
Lake County Code § 14-34, the heart of the county's 2005 Noise Control Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2005-3, adopted January 4, 2005, enacted under the home-rule authority described in § 14-32 and Article II, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution), prohibits creating or continuing "excessive noise" audible to anyone in the unincorporated county. The ordinance defines excessive noise three ways: sound of an amount, duration or intensity injurious to human or animal life or property; sound that annoys, disturbs, injures or unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or business of others; or sound detectable by a considerable number of persons that interferes with public health, repose or safety.
Section 14-34(4) reaches across jurisdiction lines: noise created in another municipality or county that is detected inside unincorporated Lake County still counts as a disturbance here. Because the section sets no fixed decibel limit, § 14-34 directs enforcement to weigh several factors: the noise level itself, whether its source is natural or man-made, the zoning of the emitting and receiving areas, how close it is to a sleeping area, the time of day or night, and whether it is constant, intermittent or recurring. Under § 14-36, once excessive noise starts, it's presumed to continue with the knowledge and permission of the property owner or occupant, so an owner can be held responsible without proving they personally made the noise.
The ordinance applies throughout the unincorporated areas per § 14-33, and its listed exemptions in § 14-37 cover emergency vehicles, permitted special events, fireworks, parades, and agricultural operations in appropriate zoning districts.
Violations & Fines
A first uncontested citation for a Section 14-34 violation carries a reduced civil penalty of $150, rising to $300 for a second offense and $450 for any further repeat, each due to the clerk of county court within 10 days. Contesting a citation waives the discount and exposes the violator to a county court penalty up to $500; willfully refusing to sign a citation is a second-degree misdemeanor, and a sheriff's deputy can arrest on probable cause after a prior warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for noise in unincorporated Lake County?
Can I be cited for noise made by someone else on my property?
What's the penalty for a first excessive-noise citation in Lake County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
How Lake County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lake County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.