Chatham County, GA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Chatham County's Code of Ordinances Chapter 11 (General Offenses), adopted August 7, 2020, governs noise in the unincorporated county. Section 11-101(h) (Disorderly Conduct) makes it unlawful to operate or play a radio, amplifier, record player, tape player, or musical instrument where the sound can be heard beyond the confines of the building, premises, or vehicle, unless a sound equipment permit has been issued. The provision applies on streets, lanes, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, and other open spaces. Section 11-109 (Noise above Certain Levels Prohibited by Vehicle Traffic) prohibits any noise from a vehicle on a public roadway in excess of 55 dB, measured with a sound level meter meeting American National Standards Institute standards. Section 11-102 separately bans maintaining a disorderly house that causes common disturbance of the neighborhood. Unlike many Georgia counties, Chatham does not set fixed nighttime hours or daytime/nighttime decibel thresholds for residential noise; enforcement relies on the audibility standard in §11-101(h) and the disorderly-house standard in §11-102. Cities such as Savannah, Pooler, Garden City, Tybee Island, and Bloomingdale have their own noise ordinances that supersede county rules inside their limits.