Quiet hours in Knox County, TN — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Unincorporated Knox County has no general quiet-hours ordinance with set nighttime cutoffs. Code sections 50-4 through 50-25 (offenses) are reserved. Nuisance noise is handled through state disorderly-conduct law and, for specific uses, zoning decibel standards.
The Knox County Code chapter on Offenses (ch. 50, art. I) leaves sections 50-4—50-25 reserved, so there is no blanket residential quiet-hours rule for the unincorporated county. General late-night noise complaints are enforced under Tennessee's disorderly-conduct statute, TCA 39-17-305, which reaches unreasonable noise that prevents others from carrying on lawful activities. Certain permitted uses do carry a 9:00 p.m.-9:00 a.m. framework (see zoning standard 4.104 for rural retreats). Inside Knoxville or Farragut, the city or town noise ordinance applies instead of county rules.
State disorderly conduct (TCA 39-17-305) is a Class C misdemeanor. No county-specific quiet-hours fine exists in the unincorporated area.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
knox-county-tn
Knox County does not prohibit backyard composting for households. The zoning code only regulates commercial-scale composting facilities, which are solid-wast...
knox-county-tn
Knox County has no ordinance regulating artificial turf on residential property. Synthetic lawns are neither required nor banned; large installations should ...
knox-county-tn
Knox County has no rule requiring native plants in home yards, but its zoning ordinance requires native shade trees in new parking lots and along streets in ...
knox-county-tn
Knox County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially regulating residential rain barrels or rainwater collection. Tennessee does not restrict rainwater harv...
knox-county-tn
Knox County does not impose a general ordinance restricting lawn or garden watering days or hours. Any watering limits come from your individual water utilit...
knox-county-tn
Knox County treats vines, grass, weeds and other vegetation that reaches 12 inches or more as a presumed public nuisance on residential property. Owners must...
See how Knox 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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.