Quiet hours in Tuscaloosa, AL — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Tuscaloosa's noise code (City Code Ch. 10.8, Art. II, Sec. 10.8-13) sets a lower nighttime decibel ceiling in residential districts from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. In 2018 the City Council lowered the limits, so the nighttime cap is 65 dB(A) and the daytime cap is 75 dB(A), measured at the property line.
The City of Tuscaloosa regulates residential noise by time of day in Section 10.8-13 of its Code of Ordinances (Chapter 10.8, Article II). The section bans operating any device, radio, musical instrument, television, drum or sound-amplifying equipment, and also willfully making loud or raucous noise, that exceeds the daytime ceiling 'during the hours of 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.' or the lower nighttime ceiling 'from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.' The limit is measured at any property line within a residential district, or on any public street or right-of-way within or bordering a residential district inside the city limits. The ordinance as originally adopted (Ord. No. 3297, 1991) set 80 dB(A) day and 75 dB(A) night, but on June 26, 2018 the City Council voted to lower the thresholds; the current limits are 75 dB(A) during the day and 65 dB(A) at night. A 'residential district' tracks the city's Zoning Ordinance, covering single-family (R-1 to R-4), multi-family (RMF) and mobile-home (RMH) districts. Anyone who creates the noise, or permits it on premises under their care, custody or control, is presumed responsible (Sec. 10.8-13(c)).
Noise violations are prosecuted in Tuscaloosa Municipal Court. Under Alabama Code Section 11-45-9, a municipal ordinance violation carries a fine of up to $500 and/or up to six months of imprisonment or hard labor, a cap the city's court confirms applies to ordinance charges.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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