Showing ordinances that apply to George Mason, VA
George Mason is an unincorporated community (population 11,162) in Fairfax County, Virginia. Because George Mason is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Fairfax County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The quiet hours rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Fairfax County Code Chapter 108 establishes quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM on weekdays and 10:00 PM to 9:00 AM on weekends and holidays. Sound that is plainly audible at 50 feet from the source, or inside a neighboring dwelling with windows closed, violates the ordinance during these periods.
Fairfax County's Noise Ordinance (Chapter 108 of the County Code) uses a plainly audible standard rather than decibel measurements, making enforcement accessible to patrol officers without sound meters. During the nighttime quiet hours (10 PM-7 AM weekdays, 10 PM-9 AM weekends/holidays), sound from any source that is plainly audible at 50 feet from the property line, or inside a neighboring residence, constitutes a violation. The ordinance was overhauled in 2009 after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down prior reasonableness-based noise ordinances as unconstitutionally vague (Tanner v. City of Virginia Beach). The current ordinance applies throughout unincorporated Fairfax County but not within the incorporated towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton, which maintain their own noise regulations. Violations are Class 3 misdemeanors carrying fines up to $500. Fairfax County Police enforce the ordinance, often in coordination with the Department of Code Compliance for repeat offenders. Virginia Code §15.2-1429 grants counties the authority to enact noise ordinances.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how George Mason's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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