Spotsylvania County, VA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Sec. 14-56(a) of the Spotsylvania County Code prohibits operating a public or private Motor vehicle or Motorcycle on a public right-of-way in a manner that its Sound level, measured 100 feet or more away, is audible and discernable or exceeds specific limits tied to the vehicle's weight class and the posted speed limit. The table sets three tiers: any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle or combination weight rating of 6,000 pounds or more may not exceed 86 dBA where the speed limit is 35 mph or less, rising to 90 dBA where the limit is over 35 mph; any motorcycle is capped at 82 dBA and 86 dBA respectively; and every other vehicle, or any combination of vehicles towed by a motor vehicle, is capped at 76 dBA and 82 dBA.

The limits are enforced under the noise chapter's general measurement procedures in Sec. 4-1983 standards, slow time-weighting except for repetitive impulsive sounds, and readings taken at least four feet off the ground and ten feet from obstructions. Motor carrier vehicles engaged in interstate commerce, defined by reference to the federal Noise Control Act of 1972, are exempt from the section entirely under Sec. 14-56(b) because federal regulation already occupies that ground. Enforcement runs through the Sheriff's Office, and Sec. 14-57 makes a first violation a Class 3 misdemeanor with a fine of $100 to $250, escalating to a Class 2 misdemeanor and a $250 to $500 fine for any later offense, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. The county may also pursue a circuit court injunction against a chronic violator in addition to criminal prosecution.