Quiet hours in Broward County, FL — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Broward County Code Ch. 27, Art. VII §27-235 sets a single residential sound limit of 55 dBA (L50) / 65 dBA (Lmax) at the receiving property line — applied at all times, with no separate daytime/nighttime split.
Broward County's noise rules are in Chapter 27 (Pollution Control), Article VII (Noise) of the Code of Ordinances, not in a stand-alone quiet-hours section. Section 27-235 prohibits operating any source of sound on property in a manner that creates a sound level exceeding either the L50 or Lmax limit in Table 1 when measured at or within the real property line of the receiving property. For residential property (or the residential portion of a multi-use property), the Table 1 limits are 55 dBA (L50) and 65 dBA (Lmax) and apply at all times — Broward does not adopt traditional 10 PM to 7 AM quiet hours at the county level. A source is not considered in violation if its measured level exceeds the background sound level by less than 5 dBA, which effectively lowers the practical threshold in already-quiet neighborhoods. Section 27-236 lists exemptions (e.g., construction 7 AM to 7 PM, emergency work, parades). Florida Statute Chapter 823 separately addresses public nuisances. These county rules apply in unincorporated Broward; cities such as Fort Lauderdale (Code Ch. 17 Noise Control), Hollywood (11 PM to 6 AM quiet hours), Coral Springs, and others enforce their own municipal noise ordinances inside their limits.
Section 27-235 violations are enforced by Broward County Code Compliance via non-criminal civil citations, with daily fines that may continue until the noise source is corrected. Repeat or willful violations can be referred to the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate under F.S. Ch. 162, which authorizes fines up to $250 per day for first violations and $500 per day for repeat violations, plus liens for unpaid amounts. Florida Statute §877.03 (breach of peace) may apply to grossly disruptive noise as a second-degree misdemeanor.
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