Chittenden County, Vermont has no operational county government with regulatory power - Vermont counties are judicial-only entities. All noise regulation is handled by individual towns and cities under authority of 24 V.S.A. §2291 (general municipal powers) and 24 V.S.A. §2210 (public nuisance authority). In Burlington, the largest city in the county, the Burlington Code of Ordinances Sec. 21-13 prohibits unreasonable noise 24 hours a day, with stricter "quiet hours" from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when noise plainly audible between dwellings is presumed unreasonable. Power equipment and construction work are prohibited 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Report violations to Burlington Police at (802) 658-2704.
Vermont counties (including Chittenden) have no executive or legislative branch and cannot adopt ordinances - only judicial functions remain (the county Superior Court and Sheriff's civil process). Town and city governments hold all local police-power authority under 24 V.S.A. §2291, which authorizes municipalities to regulate noise, animals, and public nuisances, and 24 V.S.A. §2210, the general public nuisance statute. There is no statewide Vermont noise ordinance with decibel limits; instead, each town adopts its own rules. Burlington (the county's largest jurisdiction) regulates noise under Burlington Code of Ordinances Section 21-13. The ordinance applies 24 hours a day and prohibits any "loud or unreasonable noise." Special quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., during which noise that is "plainly audible" between apartments or houses is considered unreasonable per se. Power equipment, construction, and similar mechanical activity are banned between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (with exemptions for emergency repairs, safety devices, and snow removal). Social gatherings where one or more participants are non-residents have stricter party-noise penalties, and all residents of the premises share liability. South Burlington uses Code Chapter 14 (Environment, Article II Nuisance Ordinance), Essex/Essex Junction and Williston each maintain their own noise rules, and unincorporated villages or towns without ordinances default to common-law nuisance under 24 V.S.A. §2210.
In Burlington, general noise violations carry civil penalties of $200 minimum (1st offense), $300 minimum (2nd within 24 months), and $500 plus possible criminal proceedings (3rd or more). Party-gathering violations are higher: $300 / $400 / $500 with criminal proceedings. Burlington Police at (802) 658-2704 issue tickets enforceable in the Vermont Judicial Bureau. Other Chittenden County towns have their own fine schedules; absent a town ordinance, persistent disturbances may be abated as public nuisances under 24 V.S.A. §2210.
See how Chittenden County's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.