Quiet hours in Buncombe County, NC — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
In unincorporated Buncombe County, playing any radio, TV, instrument, or amplifying device so loud it disturbs a neighbor's repose is unlawful, especially between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The county uses a nuisance standard, not decibel meters.
Buncombe County Code Ch. 26 (Environment), Art. IV, Sec. 26-181 bans 'unreasonably loud, disturbing, and unnecessary' noise in the unincorporated county. It singles out amplified sound between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. as a violation when it annoys or disturbs a person of normal sensibilities in any residence. Building/construction noise in residential districts is separately barred 6 p.m.-7 a.m. There is no fixed decibel limit; the Sheriff judges loudness by time, proximity, volume, and recurrence. Inside Asheville, Black Mountain, Weaverville, or Woodfin, the town's own noise code applies instead.
Violation is a class 3 misdemeanor, fine up to $200. Each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense. The Sheriff of Buncombe County enforces in unincorporated areas.
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