Quiet hours in Suffolk, VA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Suffolk uses a plainly-audible standard, not decibels. Under City Code Chapter 34, Article VI, sound heard across a residential property line or 50 feet from its source is excessive noise, a Class 2 misdemeanor. Amplified and vocal noise is barred 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Suffolk's noise rule sits in Chapter 34, Article VI (Sections 34-186 through 34-190). Section 34-188 makes any excessive noise a Class 2 misdemeanor and a public nuisance. Section 34-189 sets the specifics: radios, instruments, and amplified devices that are plainly audible across a residential boundary or 50 feet from the source are prohibited at any hour, while yelling, shouting, singing, and loudspeaker use are barred between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. There are no citywide decibel limits; enforcement turns on whether the sound is plainly audible. Suffolk police respond to complaints.
A violation of Section 34-188 is a Class 2 misdemeanor and public nuisance, punishable under Virginia law by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
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See how Suffolk's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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