Pasco County, FL Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Pasco County, FL, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- General residential cap
- 55 dBA, 10 p.m.-7 a.m. daily
- Multifamily cap
- 40 dBA inside neighbor's unit
- Applies
- Countywide, incl. Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes
- Waiver limit
- 180 days; appeal to BOCC in 30 days
- Enforcement
- Citation under Code § 1-11
Summary
Pasco County enforces a nightly noise curfew under Code § 66-97(4)(a): ordinary residential noise can't top 55 dBA at the property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with a tighter 40 dBA cap for noise reaching into a neighbor's unit in multifamily buildings under § 66-97(4)(c).
Except for those noises otherwise specifically provided for within this section, it shall be unlawful to create or to permit to be created any noise within a residential district that exceeds 55 dBA, measured at the nearest adjacent property line during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily. ... For multifamily dwelling units, it shall be unlawful to create or to permit to be created any noise that exceeds 40 dBA measured within a neighbor's dwelling during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Division 2 of Chapter 66 opens with findings that 'excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noises' harm public health and welfare (Sec. 66-92), and it applies countywide, including unincorporated communities like Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Hudson, Trinity and Odessa, unless a municipality's own ordinance conflicts (Sec. 66-94). The core nighttime rule for ordinary residential noise sits in Sec. ' Multifamily neighbors get an apartment-specific version of the same curfew in Sec. 66-97(4)(c): noise reaching 40 dBA inside a neighboring unit during that same window is unlawful.
Four exceptions apply at any hour under Sec. 66-95, without any decibel limit: emergency signal devices, emergency utility repairs, 'ordinary noise' from railways, shipping lanes and aircraft, and permitted cultural or historical events. Other specific sources within the same section carry their own separate curfews, such as construction equipment and air-conditioning units, but the 55 dBA overnight cap in (4)(a) is the catch-all governing ordinary residential noise, from parties to yard equipment, whenever no more specific limit applies. Anyone needing relief can apply in writing to the county administrator for a waiver under Sec.
66-96, though waivers are reserved for pre-existing industrial or commercial noise sources, run no longer than 180 days, and a denial can be appealed to the Board of County Commissioners within 30 days.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 55 dBA overnight residential cap, or the 40 dBA multifamily cap, is enforced as a general Code violation under Sec. 1-11, the same citation process used elsewhere in Chapter 66; the county attorney's office pursues these civilly rather than criminally. Only a separate radio and loudspeaker offense in Sec. 66-97(7) is expressly classified as a second-degree misdemeanor under F.S. § 125.69(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the general noise curfew start in unincorporated Pasco County?
Is the noise limit different for apartments and condos?
Does this curfew apply in Wesley Chapel or Land O' Lakes?
Can I get an exception to host a late event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
How Pasco County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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