Marietta, GA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime stereo audibility limit
- 100 feet, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
- Nighttime stereo audibility limit
- 50 feet, 11 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Muffler requirement
- Working muffler required at all times
- dBA limit, 35 mph or less
- 86 dBA at 50 feet
- dBA limit, over 35 mph
- 90 dBA at 50 feet
Summary
Marietta caps car stereo volume so it cannot be heard 100 feet away between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., dropping to 50 feet overnight, under Code Sec. 10-6-050.F. Every vehicle must also run a working muffler and stay under a numeric dBA limit that scales with the posted speed zone.
F.Personal or commercial vehicular music amplification or reproduction equipment, including, but not limited to, boom cars, shall not be operated at such a volume and in such a manner as to create, or cause to be created, any noises or sounds that are plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet in any direction from the equipment or vehicle between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. ... J.Every motor vehicle shall, at all times, be operated with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or harmful noise. ... 1.In speed zones of 35 miles per hour or less, not more than 86 dbA; and2.In speed zones of more than 35 miles per hour, not more than 90 dbA.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
, so late-night amplified bass gets far less room before it becomes a violation. J requires every motor vehicle to run at all times with a muffler in good working order, kept in constant operation to prevent excessive or harmful noise. The same subsection sets a hard drive-by noise ceiling measured 50 feet from the center of the travel lane: no more than 86 dBA in speed zones of 35 mph or less, and no more than 90 dBA in zones posted above 35 mph, regardless of grade, load, acceleration or deceleration. C, with penalties governed by Section 10-6-100.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the stereo-audibility rule or the muffler/dBA limit carry the same municipal court penalty scale: up to $500 and 30 days for a first or second offense within 24 months, and up to $1,000 and three months imprisonment for a third or repeat offense within that window, under Section 10-6-100.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marietta
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