Quiet hours in Clarke County, GA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Athens-Clarke County's noise control ordinance is at Section 3-5-24 of the Code of Athens-Clarke County. Party and amplified sound is prohibited 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. At night, sound that is plainly audible more than 100 feet from the source is a violation. The ordinance covers mechanical devices, human-produced sounds, and commercial advertising. Enforcement: ACC Police non-emergency line 706-613-3330.
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city-county government, so a single ordinance applies countywide outside of the City of Winterville. The noise ordinance lives at Sec. 3-5-24 of Title 3 (Public Safety) of the Code of Athens-Clarke County. The 'party noise' provisions prohibit sound from any party, gathering, or amplified device that is plainly audible more than 100 feet from the source between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between midnight and 7:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The ordinance also addresses mechanical devices, vehicle stereos, loudspeakers, and commercial advertising sounds at all hours when they unreasonably disturb the peace. Officers no longer need to issue a warning before citing a violation; first contact may result in a citation. Georgia state law (O.C.G.A. 16-11-39) on disorderly conduct provides additional enforcement authority. Athens-Clarke County Police, Code Enforcement, and UGA Police (on campus) share enforcement responsibility, with the high concentration of UGA student rental housing driving most enforcement near downtown and the Five Points/Normaltown areas.
Noise violations are typically charged as misdemeanors under Sec. 3-5-24, with fines that escalate for repeat offenses at the same address. Property owners and tenants can both be cited. ACC Municipal Court handles the cases.
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