Greensboro, NC Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Greensboro, 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 window
- 11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.
- Holiday extension
- Shifts start to 2:00 a.m.
- Drive-through audio
- Exempt any hour
- Retitled
- Ord. No. 13-119, Sept. 17, 2013
- Closure power
- 24-hr closure for imminent-danger violations
Summary
Greensboro bars outdoor sound amplification, amplified instruments or sound reproduction devices between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under City Code § 18-50.1(a). Exceptions cover restaurant patios, drive-throughs and set holiday extensions like New Year's Eve.
(a)Except as otherwise permitted under this article, it shall be unlawful between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day for any person, business or entity to play, operate, use or cause to be played, operated or used, any sound amplification device, amplified musical instrument or sound reproduction device which creates or reproduces audible sound outside any building or structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 132).
Full Breakdown
" This is the city's general nighttime outdoor-noise curfew, distinct from the door-to-door decibel table in § 18-51. on six recurring dates: New Year's Eve/Day, St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day, Halloween, and the Friday-Sunday spans before Memorial Day and Labor Day. 1 was retitled from "Same, Commercial establishments with outside sound-producing activities" to the broader "Same, Outside sound-producing activities" by Ord. No. 13-119 (Sept. 17, 2013), extending the curfew beyond commercial establishments to any person, business or entity. Drive-through audio communication systems are exempted under subsection (d) regardless of hour.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through the noise enforcement officer and chief of police under §§ 18-55 and 18-56. Section 18-58 imposes a warning for a first violation, then $200, $350 and $500 civil penalties for successive violations, plus injunctive relief for willful repeat offenders. Under § 18-58(c), if an outdoor sound violation at a commercial establishment creates an imminent danger to public health or safety, the noise enforcement officer may order the establishment to immediately cease outside sound activities and, for noncompliance, close it for 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does outdoor noise have to stop in Greensboro?
Does the 11 p.m. curfew apply on New Year's Eve?
Can a restaurant drive-through speaker run overnight?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greensboro
How Greensboro compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Greensboro to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle quiet hours.