Kanawha County, WV Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Kanawha County, WV, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- State law
- W. Va. Code §61-6-1b
- Decibel limit
- None countywide
- Enforcement
- Kanawha County Sheriff
- Cities
- Charleston sets own hours
Summary
In unincorporated Kanawha County there's no decibel code or fixed quiet hours; the Sheriff enforces West Virginia's disorderly-conduct law, W. Va. Code §61-6-1b, against unreasonably loud noise. Charleston sets its own city noise rules.
disturbs the peace of others by violent, profane, indecent or boisterous conduct or language or by the making of unreasonably loud noise that is intended to cause annoyance or alarm to another person
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
West Virginia sets no statewide decibel standard, and Kanawha County has no countywide noise ordinance for its unincorporated hollows and valleys. Instead the Kanawha County Sheriff enforces W. Va. Code §61-6-1b, which makes unreasonably loud noise intended to annoy or alarm a misdemeanor once an officer asks the person to stop. Inside city limits, Charleston (a Home Rule city and the state capital), St. Albans, South Charleston, Dunbar, and Nitro run their own noise codes with nighttime quiet periods. Sound carries far up the steep Kanawha and Elk River valleys, so what seems modest can reach a neighbor.
Violations & Fines
Under §61-6-1b, disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor: an officer must first request that you desist, and continued noise can bring confinement up to 24 hours or a fine up to $100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Kanawha County have set quiet hours?
Who do I call about a loud neighbor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kanawha County
How Kanawha County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Kanawha County to another location·View the West Virginia noise ordinances overview
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