Quiet hours in Norfolk City, VA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Norfolk's Chapter 26 noise ordinance, rewritten in 2022, runs a night window from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sound from audio devices may not be plainly audible 100 feet away by day, 50 feet away at night.
Under Norfolk City Code Chapter 26, adopted as Ordinance 48,923 on September 13, 2022, most noise is judged by whether it is plainly audible and discernible, a standard that expressly includes rhythmic bass. Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the audible-distance test drops from 100 feet to 50 feet. For measured sound, Table II caps residential districts at 57 dB(A) daytime and 52 dB(A) at night, read 50 feet from the source. The Norfolk Police Department enforces and, where practical, warns before citing.
A violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. Ongoing noise can also be abated as a public nuisance by injunction under Section 26-4.
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