Knox County, TN Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
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.
Key Facts
- Daytime residential limit
- 65 dB(A), 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Nighttime residential limit
- 60 dB(A), 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Refuse-truck curfew
- No collection 10 p.m.-7 a.m. residential
- Construction curfew
- Restricted 9 p.m.-7 a.m. residential
- Special noise permits
- Max 2 per premises per year
Summary
Knox County's general noise chapter drops the residential decibel ceiling from 65 dB(A) in the daytime to 60 dB(A) between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and separately bans refuse-truck operation and most construction work in residential areas during that same nighttime window.
Section 1203. Use Regulations. ... 1.Residential use.a.When the offending sound emanates from a residential use between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 PM, sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of 65 dB(A), or impulsive sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of 80 dB(A).b.When the offending sound emanates from a residential use between the hours of 10:00 PM and 7:00 a.m., sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of 60 dB(A), or impulsive sound which has an A-weighted sound pressure level of 80 dB(A). ... 10.Use of motor vehicles for the collection or compacting of refuse, except that such vehicles shall not operate between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in a residential use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12, inserted into the county code by the 2018 IPMC amendments in Sec. 10-92, declares in Section 1201 that excessive noise is detrimental to residents' physical, mental and social well-being and sets out to eliminate unnecessary and excessive noise countywide. that ceiling drops to 60 dB(A), with the 80 dB(A) impulsive-sound limit unchanged. Commercial and industrial uses carry separate, higher daytime and nighttime ceilings under the same section. , permitted then only in urgent-necessity cases with a building inspector's permit. , meaning it falls back under the general standards outside that window.
Violations & Fines
Violating the nighttime 60 dB(A) residential ceiling, or operating exempt equipment like refuse trucks or construction machinery outside its allowed daytime window, is enforceable under Chapter 12's general nuisance-noise provisions; Section 1206 also lets the code official issue special one-day noise permits, limited to two per premises per twelve-month period and only for Friday, Saturday or a federally recognized holiday between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., which does not extend to the 10:00 p.m.-to-7:00-a.m. quiet period at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Knox County's quiet hours start?
Can trash pickup happen before 7am in a Knox County neighborhood?
Can I get a permit for a loud event after normal quiet hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
How Knox County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Knox County to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview
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