Pender County, NC Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard vehicle noise curfew
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- ATV/side-by-side curfew
- Sunset to sunrise
- Covers
- Mechanical, exhaust and sound-amplifying noise
- Enforcing agency
- Pender County Sheriff's Office
- First-offense penalty
- $100 civil citation
- Exemption
- Farm vehicles with standard mufflers
Summary
Excessive mechanical, exhaust or sound-amplifying noise from a motor vehicle or motorcycle is barred in unincorporated Pender County between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Code Sec. 24-44(3), while ATVs and side-by-sides face a wider sunset-to-sunrise restriction. The Sheriff's Office enforces both windows.
Sec. 24-44. - Specific prohibitions. The following acts, or the causing or permitting thereof, among others, are declared to be excessive noise and are in violation of this article: ... (3)Vehicles. Operation of a motor vehicle or operation of a motorcycle within the county that creates mechanical or exhaust noise that is excessive, and/or sound amplifying noise from an operational vehicle between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.(a)Noise from ATVs, side-by-sides, or similar offroad vehicles from sunset to sunrise.
Full Breakdown
Item (3) of Section 24-44, part of the Article III noise ordinance readopted November 18, 2024 under G.S. 153A-133, prohibits operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle within the county in a way that creates excessive mechanical or exhaust noise, or sound-amplifying noise from an operational vehicle, between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. A separate clause within the same item extends further to off-road machines, barring noise from ATVs, side-by-sides or similar off-road vehicles from sunset to sunrise, a longer nightly window than the standard 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew used elsewhere in the section.
Section 24-43 defines 'motor vehicle' by reference to G.S. 20-4 and defines a muffler as an apparatus with chambers or baffle plates designed to reduce sound while transmitting exhaust gases. Section 24-45 exempts vehicles used in agricultural or farming operations when equipped with the manufacturer's standard mufflers and noise-reducing equipment in proper working order, and authorized emergency or law-enforcement vehicles operating on official business. Under Section 24-42 the rule covers the whole county, including any town without its own noise ordinance, and Section 24-46 gives the Sheriff's Office primary enforcement responsibility.
Violations & Fines
A citation under Code Sec. 24-47(a) carries a $100 civil penalty for a first vehicle-noise offense, $300 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense, recoverable as a civil debt if unpaid within 20 days, with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense. Section 24-47(b) also allows the violation to be prosecuted as a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Pender County restrict loud vehicle exhaust noise?
Do ATVs get a different curfew than cars and motorcycles?
Are farm vehicles exempt from the vehicle noise rule?
Who handles vehicle noise complaints in unincorporated Pender County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pender County
Compare Pender County to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.