Carroll County, MD Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Carroll County, MD, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 93.01(C)(2)
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Civil fine
- up to $1,000
- Enforcing agency
- Carroll County Sheriff's Office
- Covers
- instruments, machines, tools, equipment
- Geographic scope
- unincorporated Carroll County
- Adopted
- Ord. 2022-05, passed 5-5-2022
Summary
Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Carroll County bars anyone from running a musical instrument, machine, tool, equipment, amplified sound system, or similar device that produces an unreasonably loud noise audible in a residential area. The nighttime curfew, § 93.01(C)(2), applies countywide outside incorporated towns and carries a civil fine of up to $1,000.
(2) Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., use, operate or permit the use or operation of a musical instrument, machine, tool, equipment, amplified sound system, or similar device generating unreasonably loud noise that can be heard in a residential area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
, a person may not use, operate, or permit the use or operation of a musical instrument, machine, tool, equipment, amplified sound system, or similar device that generates an unreasonably loud noise audible in a residential area. 002. 01(B). The curfew applies only in the unincorporated area; Carroll County's eight incorporated towns, including Westminster, Hampstead, and Sykesville, enforce their own separate nighttime noise limits. after July 1, 2008, under Md. Code, Environment Article, § 3-105(A)(5). The current curfew language was adopted by Ord. 2022-05, passed May 5, 2022.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the § 93.01(C)(2) nighttime curfew is a civil infraction carrying a fine of up to $1,000, and the Sheriff's Office can issue the citation without a prior warning. A person ordered by the Sheriff's Office to stop the noise who refuses or fails to comply commits a separate misdemeanor, punishable on conviction by a fine of up to $500 or up to 30 days in jail, or both, under § 93.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Carroll County's noise curfew cover?
Does the nighttime curfew cover lawn mowers and construction tools?
Does the curfew apply inside Westminster or other Carroll County towns?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
How Carroll County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Maryland noise ordinances overview
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