Quiet hours in Chesterfield County, VA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Chesterfield County's noise ordinance targets sound that is 'plainly audible' from inside a neighbor's home or at 50+ feet, particularly during the hours of 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. No decibel meter is required to prove a violation.
Section 14-27(a) of the Chesterfield County Code makes it unlawful to operate any radio, TV, loudspeaker, sound amplifier, musical instrument or similar device so that it is 'plainly audible' either inside another person's dwelling or at 50 or more feet from the device, particularly between 12:01 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. The ordinance was amended and re-enacted 9/23/09 after Virginia's 2009 noise-preemption ruling, replacing the old decibel/'unreasonably loud' language with the plainly-audible standard. Exceptions cover public parks, sporting events, school activities and authorized parades. Chesterfield County (Virginia, Richmond suburb) governs its whole territory; the independent cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights and Petersburg have their own codes.
A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 per Sec. 14-27(h).
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