Osceola County, FL Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Osceola 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
- Daytime limit
- 55 dBA, 7:00 a.m. to sunset
- Nighttime limit
- 45 dBA, sunset+1 min to 6:59 a.m.
- Governing law
- Osceola County Code § 9-110(a), (g)
- Enforcement
- Code enforcement board and sheriff's deputies
- Max fine
- $500/day repeat, $5,000 irreparable violation
- Relief valve
- Variance from board of adjustment, § 9-109
Summary
Unincorporated Osceola County enforces a nightly noise curfew: sound crossing your property line cannot exceed 45 decibels on the A-scale from one minute after sunset until 6:59 a.m., down from the daytime cap of 55 decibels. A separate catch-all bans any 'noise disturbance' at any hour, and both the code enforcement board and sheriff's deputies can act on it.
(a) Prohibited sound levels. Except as otherwise provided herein, no person shall create, or cause to be created, any source of sound so as to create a sound level beyond the real property line of the real property upon which the sound source is located which exceeds the following sound level limits: Time of Day Decibels (A-scale) 7:00 a.m. through sunset 55; One minute after sunset through 6:59 a.m. 45 ... (g) General prohibition. No person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any noise disturbance, as defined in section 9-106, within the unincorporated limits of the county. ... Noise disturbance. Means any sound which is or may be potentially harmful or injurious to human health or welfare, animal life or property, or unnecessarily interferes with the enjoyment of life or property, including outdoor recreation, of a reasonable person with normal sensitivities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71 | Land Development Code: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 9-110(a) of the Osceola County Noise Control Ordinance sets the county's basic day/night sound ceiling: no source may be heard beyond its own property line above 55 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and sunset, or above 45 dBA from one minute after sunset until 6:59 a.m. Separate, stricter limits apply to music and amplified sound (45 dBC daytime, 40 dBC at night under subsection (b)) and to air conditioners, pumps and similar mechanical equipment (50 dBC daytime, 45 dBC at night under subsection (c)). Multifamily buildings have their own interior standard: no more than 55 dBC from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or 45 dBC from 10:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m., measured inside a neighboring unit with doors and windows closed.
Subsection (g) backstops all of this with a general ban on any 'noise disturbance,' defined at Sec. 9-106 as sound that is potentially harmful to health, welfare, or property, or that unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment of life or outdoor recreation by a person of normal sensitivity. Sixteen specific activities are exempted under subsection (h), including emergency sirens, alarm testing capped at sixty seconds between 7:00 a.m. and sunset, lawn equipment between 7:00 a.m. and sunset, and lawful construction between 7:00 a.m. and sunset. Anyone whose activity does not fit an exemption can apply to the board of adjustment for a variance under Sec.
9-109, which may set custom decibel limits, time windows and monitoring conditions; a denial can be appealed to the board of county commissioners within ten days for a de novo hearing.
Violations & Fines
A violation is enforceable by code inspectors and code enforcement officers under chapter 7, or by any law enforcement officer with jurisdiction in unincorporated Osceola County under F.S. § 943.10(1) (Sec. 9-108). Chapter 7's general fine schedule applies: up to $250 per day for a first violation and up to $500 per day for a repeat violation for each day it continues past the compliance deadline, with fines as high as $5,000 for a violation found irreparable or irreversible, plus a lien against the violator's property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime noise limit in unincorporated Osceola County?
Is there a general noise ban even under the decibel limit?
Can I get permission for a loud event after hours?
Who enforces the noise ordinance and what can it cost me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Osceola County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Osceola County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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