Flagler County, FL Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Flagler County, FL, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Residential daytime limit
- 60 dBA, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Residential nighttime limit
- 55 dBA, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Agricultural land
- 75 dBA at all times, no curfew
- Second violation fine
- $250 within 180 days
- Third+ violation penalty
- $500 and up to 60 days jail
- Enforcing agency
- Flagler County Sheriff's Office
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only, not Palm Coast
Summary
Unincorporated Flagler County caps outdoor sound at 55 dBA overnight (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and 60 dBA during the day in residential areas, measured at the property line. Commercial and public-institutional properties get higher limits, and agricultural land is exempt from any time-of-day cutback. The Flagler County Sheriff's Office enforces the ordinance only outside Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach and Bunnell.
(a)No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the sound level limits listed in Table 1 for more than ten (10) percent of any measurement period when measured beyond the originating property's property line. ... Use Occupancy Category Time Maximum Sound Level—dBA Residential 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 60 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. 55 ... (a)This article shall apply to and be enforced within the unincorporated area of the county.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 22-55 of the Flagler County Code sets maximum permissible sound levels by 'use occupancy category' rather than one blanket decibel cap. m. Commercial, office and public/institutional land (a category that by ordinance includes hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries and churches) is allowed 70 dBA by day and 65 dBA at night, and agricultural land is capped at 75 dBA at all times with no nighttime step-down. Sound is measured beyond the source property's line using the A-weighted 'slow' setting on an ANSI-calibrated meter, and any reading over the Table 1 limit for more than ten percent of a measurement period is prima facie evidence of a violation.
Noise crossing from a louder into a quieter zoning district must meet the stricter, receiving district's limit. 18. Sec. 22-56 exempts emergency responders, lawn mowers and landscaping equipment run during daylight, permitted construction using properly muffled equipment, and county-sanctioned special events. Sec. 22-77(a) confirms the article 'shall apply to and be enforced within the unincorporated area of the county,' with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office as the enforcing agency; residents inside Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Beverly Beach, Marineland or Bunnell fall under those cities' own noise codes instead.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of Sec. 22-55 draws only a written warning and notice to cure. A second violation within 180 days carries a $250 civil citation under Sec. 22-76, and a third or later violation within that same 180-day window jumps to a $500 citation, up to 60 days' imprisonment, or both. Citations may be contested within 30 days by written request to the Flagler County Clerk of Courts; missing that window waives the right to a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Flagler County's quiet hours apply in Palm Coast?
What decibel limit applies to a house at night?
What happens after multiple noise complaints?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flagler County
How Flagler County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Flagler County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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