Jackson, TN Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Jackson, TN, 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. to 7:00 a.m.
- Test
- Plainly audible at 50 feet from source
- Civil penalty
- Up to $500 per offense (§ 3-102)
- Enforcing agency
- Jackson Police Department
- Daytime rule
- Limited to volume for voluntary listeners
- Related rule
- Subsection (e) covers commercial amplified sound
Summary
In the City of Jackson, Tennessee, running a radio, phonograph, loudspeaker or similar sound device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so it is plainly audible fifty feet from the building, structure or vehicle where it plays is prima facie evidence of a code violation. Jackson Municipal Code § 11-503(2)(d) sets this nighttime threshold inside the city's broader anti-noise ordinance, enforced by the Jackson Police Department and punishable in city court.
(d)The playing, using, operating, or permitting to be played, used or operated any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants or at any time with louder volume than is necessary for convenient hearing for the person or persons who are in the room, vehicle or chamber in which such machine or device is operated and who are voluntary listeners thereto. The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M., in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet (50') from the building, structure or vehicle in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.
Full Breakdown
Jackson Municipal Code Title 11, Chapter 5 (Offenses Against the Peace and Quiet) declares in § 11-503 that creating any unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise is prohibited within the City of Jackson, Tennessee. Section 11-503(2)(d) targets radios, musical instruments, phonographs and similar sound-producing devices: playing one loud enough to disturb the peace and quiet of neighboring inhabitants is unlawful at any hour, but between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the standard tightens into an objective test. If the sound from such a device is plainly audible fifty feet (50') from the building, structure or vehicle housing it during that nine-hour window, § 11-503(2)(d) makes that fact alone prima facie evidence of a violation, so the Jackson Police Department does not need a decibel meter or proof of intent to write a citation.
The same section separately regulates daytime use, capping volume at what is necessary for convenient hearing by voluntary listeners inside the room or vehicle where the device is operated. Subsection (e) is a distinct rule covering amplified sound aimed at the public street for commercial advertising, and subsections (a) through (c) and (f) through (i) cover unnecessary horns, exhaust-driven horns, mufflerless vehicles and street yelling as separately unlawful acts under the same chapter. A conviction is prosecuted in Jackson City Court, where § 3-102 caps the civil penalty at five hundred dollars ($500.00) per offense or the maximum allowed under state law, plus court costs.
Because the ordinance is enumerated rather than exhaustive, officers can also cite other noise meeting the general nuisance standard in § 11-503 even outside the listed examples.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 11-503 is a municipal offense prosecuted in Jackson City Court under § 3-102, which authorizes a civil penalty up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per violation plus court costs. Because plainly-audible-at-50-feet during the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. window is prima facie evidence under § 11-503(2)(d), the Jackson Police Department can cite a violation on that measurement alone, without proving intent to disturb a specific neighbor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jackson's nighttime noise curfew?
Does the noise rule change during the day?
What can happen if I'm cited for violating the noise ordinance in Jackson?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
How Jackson compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Jackson to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview
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