Sumter County, SC Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Sumter County, SC, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Sumter County Code § 14-134(b)
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Distance trigger
- Within 50 feet of a dwelling
- Standard
- Presumed disturbance, no meter needed
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 30 days (§14-136)
Summary
Unincorporated Sumter County presumes noise is unlawful between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if it comes from a sound device within 50 feet of a home. Sumter County Code § 14-134(b) creates that nighttime presumption whenever the noise causes distress or discomfort to a person of ordinary sensibilities, whether or not that person actually lives on the affected property.
(b)For the purposes of this article, noise generated by any sound device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in any area within 50 feet of the property line of any dwelling, apartment, hotel, roominghouse or other such residential facility, or hospital or nursing home or other similar care facility, and which noise results in distress, disturbance, discomfort or injury to a complaining person of ordinary sensibilities, shall be presumed to disturb the quiet, comfort and repose of persons within or on the premises of any dwelling, hotel, roominghouse or other such residential care facility or any hospital, nursing home or similar care facility, whether or not the complaining person is an occupant of such premises or facility.
Full Breakdown
Section 14-134(b), part of the county's noise article adopted by Ord. No. 97-324 in 1997 and last amended in 2005, singles out nighttime hours for special treatment. within 50 feet of the property line of a dwelling, apartment, hotel, roominghouse, hospital or nursing home is legally presumed to disturb the quiet, comfort and repose of people there if it causes distress, disturbance, discomfort or injury to a complaining person of ordinary sensibilities. The presumption applies even if the person who complains is not an occupant of the affected property, which lets a neighbor or passerby trigger it on a resident's behalf.
window making enforcement easier because disturbance is presumed rather than something a deputy must prove case by case. Subsection (d)'s exemptions, covering construction sites, government activity, agriculture, hunting and lawfully established businesses other than on-premises-alcohol establishments, still apply during those curfew hours, so the presumption is not absolute.
Violations & Fines
A first noise complaint investigated during the 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. window still gives the responsible person a chance to abate immediately without penalty under § 14-135. A repeat or continuing violation is a misdemeanor under § 14-136, carrying a fine of up to $500.00, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each additional day of noise a separate offense, and the county may also seek a court injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Sumter County's quiet hours?
Does a neighbor have to be the one complaining about nighttime noise?
Can I be fined the first time deputies respond to a late-night noise call?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sumter County
How Sumter County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Sumter County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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