Brunswick County, NC Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Brunswick County, NC, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Legal standard
- sound plainly audible on affected property
- First civil penalty
- $300 per offense
- Repeat penalty (12 mo.)
- $500 per offense
- Criminal penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor
- Enforcement agency
- Brunswick County Sheriff's Office
- Coverage
- unincorporated county only
Summary
In unincorporated Brunswick County, radios, TVs, musical instruments and similar sound devices cannot be operated so that sound is plainly audible on a neighboring property between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. This curfew is part of the county's Noise Ordinance and does not apply inside Leland, Southport, Oak Island or the county's other incorporated towns.
(4)Radios, television sets, musical instruments and similar devices. Operating, playing or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, television, compact disc player, or other sound reproduction device, or any drum, musical instrument, or similar device in such a manner as to permit sound to be plainly audible within an affected property or through partitions common to two (2) dwelling units within a building between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
curfew for radios, televisions, compact disc players, drums, musical instruments and similar sound-reproduction devices, along with a matching curfew for loudspeakers, public-address systems, mobile sound vehicles, and even yelling, shouting or singing. The legal test is not a decibel meter reading but whether the sound is "plainly audible" on an affected property, defined to include a neighbor's home, a hospital, a hotel room, or a parked RV with the windows and doors closed. The code specifically notes that detecting the rhythmic bass of music through a wall or across a yard is enough to prove a violation; no one has to identify the song or artist.
or sunset (whichever is later). The ordinance applies only to the unincorporated county: Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Shallotte, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, Calabash and Boiling Spring Lakes each enforce their own municipal noise codes, so an address inside any of those towns is not covered by this county provision. The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office has primary enforcement responsibility and issues citations for confirmed violations under this article.
Violations & Fines
A first violation carries a $300 civil penalty per offense, rising to $500 for any repeat violation within 12 months of the first. The citation must be paid within 72 hours or the county can pursue it as a civil debt action, plus costs, in Brunswick County District Court. Separately, any violation of the noise article is also a Class 3 misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4, and a violation that continues after a citation or arrest counts as a new, separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this curfew apply if I live in Oak Island or Southport?
What does "plainly audible" mean under the county code?
Who do I call to report a late-night noise complaint in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brunswick County
How Brunswick County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Brunswick County to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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