James City County, VA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in James City County, VA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Test
- plainly audible across property line or shared wall
- Coverage
- residential and mixed-use zoned districts
- First penalty
- $50.00 civil fine
- Escalation
- $100, then $500, then Class 4 misdemeanor
- Enforcing official
- county administrator
Summary
James City County bars any noise plainly audible across a residential property line, or through the wall shared by two dwelling units, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sec. 15-20(f)(1) is the noise ordinance's general nighttime quiet-hours rule, backing up its use-specific bans on loud animals, engines and amplified sound.
Residential zoned districts and areas, and/or structures designated as residential on master plans and in mixed use zoned districts. No person shall cause or permit to be caused any noise which is plainly audible across a residential property line or through the partitions common to two dwelling units between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 15-20(f) sets the general prohibitions of the James City County Noise Ordinance, applying on top of the specific bans on animal noise, construction equipment, vehicle exhausts, horns and amplified devices in Sec. 15-20(e). For residential zoned districts, areas, and structures designated residential on the county's master plans, including mixed-use zoned districts, Sec. m. 'Plainly audible' is defined broadly in Sec. 15-20(c): any sound detectable by unaided hearing, with bass reverberations alone enough to qualify, so the rule reaches loud conversation, television, music or any other source, not just specific device categories.
Exceptions in Sec. 15-20(g) exclude emergency alerts, emergency work, government-sponsored activities, permitted activities, theme parks, and noise preempted by other law. The county administrator enforces the ordinance through a warning-then-citation process: one oral courtesy warning per day, then a written warning good for 180 days, before a notice of violation issues if the noise continues past 15 minutes. 00 for a third, with a fourth becoming a Class 4 misdemeanor the county can also enjoin.
Violations & Fines
Causing or permitting noise plainly audible across a residential property line or shared dwelling wall between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. draws a $50.00 civil penalty for a first violation, $100.00 for a second within 180 days, and $500.00 for a third; a fourth violation in that window is a Class 4 misdemeanor, and the county may seek an injunction against continuing violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the general nighttime quiet hours in James City County?
Does this quiet-hours rule cover more than music or machines?
Are there exceptions to the quiet-hours rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in James City County
How James City County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare James City County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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