Surry County, NC Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Section 132.01(B)(6), the vehicles clause of the county's loud and disturbing noise list, prohibits using any automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle that is so out of repair, so loaded, or operated in such a manner as to create loud, unreasonable grating, grinding, rattling or other noise. Section 132.02(E) carves out noise from the normal operation of properly equipped motor vehicles, provided the manufacturer's standard mufflers and noise-reducing equipment remain in place, but that exception specifically excludes cooling compressors on over-the-road trailers parked in residential areas, which stay covered by the ban.

Enforcement runs through § 132.99: a Sheriff's Deputy or the county's Ordinance Enforcement Officer may issue a civil citation carrying a $100 fine for a first violation and $300 for a repeat by the same person within one year, and unpaid citations can be pursued as a civil debt. A misdemeanor warrant is also available on probable cause through a magistrate, whether sought by a deputy, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer, or a private citizen who fully identifies themselves. Each day a vehicle continues to be operated in violation counts as a separate offense, and a citation can be closed out by paying the civil penalty plus a $15 delinquency charge to the County Finance Officer within ten days.