Decatur, GA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Decatur, GA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Restricted conduct
- Yelling, shouting, hooting, singing on streets
- Named curfew window
- 11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.
- Also barred
- Anytime it disturbs a nearby residence
- Related numeric cap
- 60 dB(A), 10pm-6:59am (§ 42-59(16))
- Enforcement
- Decatur municipal court
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine/6 months (§ 1-12)
Summary
Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on public streets in the City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia is called out as a prohibited noise "particularly" between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Code § 42-59(3), and is barred at any hour if it disturbs a nearby home or hospital.
(3)Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on streets. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any hospital, dwelling, hotel or other type of residence, or of persons in the vicinity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Section 42-59(3) does not create a blanket citywide noise curfew; it targets one specific behavior, loud vocal noise on public streets. as the window the city particularly singles out, but the same sentence extends the ban to "any time or place" the noise annoys or disturbs the quiet, comfort or repose of people in a hospital, dwelling, hotel or other residence, or of people in the vicinity generally. m. window still has a claim under the "any time or place" language, so the clock alone does not decide whether the ordinance applies.
The general nuisance backstops in § 42-57 and § 42-58, banning any "unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise" and any noise detrimental to the public peace, apply around the clock as well and give the police department a broader hook when a specific enumerated clause does not squarely fit.
Violations & Fines
Section 42-56 subjects a § 42-59(3) violation to the noise article's general penalty in § 1-12: a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both, imposed in municipal court, with each day of a continuing disturbance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Decatur, GA have a nighttime noise curfew?
Can I be cited for street noise outside the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. window?
Is there a numeric nighttime sound limit that backs up the street noise rule?
What's the penalty for violating Decatur's nighttime street noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Decatur
How Decatur compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Decatur to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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