Chatham County, GA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle noise limit
- 55 dBA on public roadways
- Measurement standard
- ANSI-calibrated sound level meter
- Penalty source
- falls to Sec. 2-108 general penalty
- Max fine
- $500 per offense
- Max jail/labor
- 30 days, or 60 days work gang
- Code location
- Ch. 11 General Offenses, not Ch. 24 Noise
Summary
Chatham County caps vehicle noise on public roadways at 55 dBA under Sec. 11-109 of the General Offenses chapter. Any vehicle, whether from its stereo, exhaust or engine, that exceeds that level is deemed a noise disturbance and a violation, measured with an ANSI-standard sound level meter.
Traffic. No person shall make, continue or cause to be made or continued, except as permitted, any noise disturbance, or any noise from a vehicle on any public roadway in excess of the limits for such noise maximum permissible sound levels of 55 dBs. Any activity or use that produces a sound in excess of such noise levels for a receiving land use shall be deemed a "noise disturbance" and is in violation of this article. Measurement of sound shall be made with a sound level meter meeting the standards prescribed by the American National Standards Institute or its successor body.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-109, titled Noise above Certain Levels Prohibited by Vehicle, sits in Chapter 11's General Offenses article alongside disorderly conduct, loitering and shoplifting, rather than in the county's dedicated Noise Control Ordinance at Chapter 24. It sets a single flat ceiling, 55 dBA, for any noise made or continued from a vehicle on a public roadway, and that ceiling applies regardless of the vehicle's zoning surroundings; there is no separate residential, business or industrial tier the way Sec. 24-304 divides fixed-source noise. A vehicle that produces sound over 55 dBA, whether from an amplified stereo, a modified exhaust, revving, or a defective muffler, is deemed to have created a noise disturbance and is in violation the moment the reading is taken.
The section requires measurement with a sound level meter that meets American National Standards Institute specifications, the same calibrated-meter standard used elsewhere in the county code. Sec. 11-109 does not set its own fine or jail term, so a violation falls back to Chapter 2's general penalty, Sec. 2-108: a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 30 days, or labor on the county work gang for not more than 60 days, for any single offense, plus costs, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense.
Because the section is written as a flat decibel cap rather than a receiving-zone test, it functions as the county's primary tool for citing loud car stereos, straight-piped exhausts, and revved engines on unincorporated roads, distinct from Sec. 24-307's separate GVWR-based limits for registered motor vehicles and Sec. 24-306's rules for stereo equipment used off a vehicle.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle measured over 55 dBA on a public roadway is a violation under Sec. 11-109 with no separate warning required. Because the section carries no penalty of its own, a conviction falls under Chapter 2's general penalty, Sec. 2-108: up to $500, 30 days in the county jail, or 60 days of work-gang labor, plus costs, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the vehicle noise limit on Chatham County roads?
What is the penalty for a loud car stereo or exhaust in Chatham County?
Is the vehicle noise rule the same as Chatham County's general noise ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
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