Burke County, NC Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Burke County Code § 26-283, part of Division 2 (Noise) of Chapter 26's nuisance article, makes it unlawful for anyone to make, continue, cause, create, or knowingly assist in creating any unreasonably loud, excessive noise or sound in the county, with volume, duration, frequency, time, and other characteristics all considered. Rather than setting a decibel ceiling, the county built its nighttime curfew as a rebuttable presumption: making unreasonably loud, excessive noise between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or continuing such noise after the person has actual knowledge it is disturbing people nearby, is prima facie evidence of a violation of the noise division.

That presumption applies countywide in unincorporated Burke County and backstops the illustrative list in § 26-284, which separately calls out amplified sound, construction, vehicle horns, and outdoor events during the same 11 p.m.-7 a.m. window. Sporting events sponsored by the county or its schools are exempt from the whole noise article under § 26-285. Enforcement runs through § 26-282: a first violation is a misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4 punishable by up to $500 or 30 days, and separately a $500 civil penalty is imposed by citation, due within 72 hours under G.S. 153A-123; missing that 72-hour window adds $100 per day for up to 15 more days. Each day of violation counts as a separate offense.