DeKalb County, GA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in DeKalb County, GA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Test used
- "Plainly audible," no meter needed
- Scope
- Unincorporated residential areas
- First-offense fine
- $200 minimum
- Third offense within 24 months
- $1,000 minimum
- Enforced by
- Police, code compliance, sound control administrator
Summary
From 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., unincorporated DeKalb County bans any sound you own or control that is plainly audible inside a neighbor's sealed home. Code § 16-303 relies on an officer's ear rather than a decibel meter, and a conviction starts at a $200 minimum fine.
It is unlawful for any person, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., to make, cause, or allow any sound from a source within his ownership or control that projects, emits or transmits into any single-family detached dwelling in a residential area owned or occupied by another, such that the sound is plainly audible anywhere within the interior of a sealed dwelling.
Full Breakdown
, to make, cause, or allow any sound from a source within your ownership or control that projects, emits, or transmits into a single-family detached dwelling in a residential area owned or occupied by someone else, when the sound is plainly audible anywhere within the interior of a sealed dwelling. Three phrases carry the weight. "Ownership or control" means the rule follows the source: the sound you make, cause, or allow from property or equipment you control. "Sealed dwelling" means the test is run with the neighbor's home closed up, so noise that penetrates a shut house is what violates.
And "plainly audible" means no decibel measurement is needed: if the sound can be plainly heard anywhere inside the sealed dwelling, the standard is met. The rule also reaches sound transmitted into the common area of a multifamily building. Enforcement falls to police, code compliance officers, or the sound control administrator, and the section covers residential areas of unincorporated DeKalb County only.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 16-310, a first conviction carries a minimum $200 fine, a second conviction within 12 months a minimum $500 fine, and a third conviction within 24 months a minimum $1,000 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does DeKalb County's quiet-hours rule cover?
Does the curfew apply inside Decatur or Brookhaven?
Do officers need a decibel meter?
What if the noise reaches an apartment building instead of a house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
How DeKalb County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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