Gastonia, NC Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Gastonia, NC, 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
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Covered zone
- Residential zones + 300 ft of any dwelling
- Church bell exception
- Capped at 5 minutes per hour
- Civil penalty
- $100.00 per citation
- Repeat criminal penalty
- Up to $500.00, 2+ convictions in 5 yrs
Summary
Gastonia bans running garage or service station machinery between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential zones or within 300 feet of any dwelling, part of the city's broader nighttime noise curfew for equipment near homes.
It shall be unlawful to carry on the following activities in any residentially zoned area of the city or within 300 feet of any dwelling in any zoning district of the city: (1) Operation of garage or service station machinery or equipment between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 5-4(a) opens: "It shall be unlawful to carry on the following activities in any residentially zoned area of the city or within 300 feet of any dwelling in any zoning district of the city," and item (1) bars "operation of garage or service station machinery or equipment between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m." The 300-foot dwelling buffer means the curfew reaches into commercial and industrial zones wherever a home sits nearby, not just residentially-zoned parcels. This sits alongside the general noise ban in Sec. 5-2, which separately prohibits any noise "unreasonably loud, raucous or disturbing" at any hour, and the exceptions in Sec. 5-5 that carve out scheduled athletic events, warning devices, church bells (capped at five minutes per hour), aircraft, emergency vehicles, city-sanctioned parades/festivals, and railroad operations from the whole noise chapter. Enforcement runs through the Gastonia Police Department, which investigates complaints under Sec. 5-7 and can issue citations directly.
Violations & Fines
A Sec. 5-4 curfew violation is a misdemeanor under subsection (b) and is treated as a noise-ordinance violation under Sec. 5-41(a): a $100.00 civil citation, or a criminal citation punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment and/or a $250.00 fine, rising to $500.00 for a second conviction within five years. Each day the noise continues after the offender is notified is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Gastonia's quiet hours?
Does the curfew apply outside residential zones?
Are any noises exempt from Gastonia's noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gastonia
How Gastonia compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Gastonia to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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