Noise Ordinances in Virginia (2026)

Alexandria bars any sound inside a residential dwelling that is plainly audible in a neighbor's dwelling, with doors…

Arlington County's Noise Control Ordinance defines "Nighttime" as everything outside "Daytime" hours (7 a.m. to 9 p.m…

Chesapeake bars loud loudspeakers, music, construction, and yelling that carry across property lines between 10 p.m…

Chesterfield County's noise ordinance targets sound that is 'plainly audible' from inside a neighbor's home or at 50+…

Fairfax County bars any sound plainly audible inside a neighbor's closed dwelling between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on…

Frederick County's noise ordinance applies only from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. each day, and only to noise coming from…

Hampton's general noise curfew runs 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., cutting the allowed audibility distance for instruments…

Henrico County's noise ordinance sets one baseline curfew: between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., no sound is permitted to…

Loudoun County's noise ordinance bars any sound audible and discernible inside a neighbor's closed residence at any…

Lynchburg bars yelling, shouting, whistling and singing on public streets, sidewalks or private property between 9:00…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Code Sec. 7-80 caps stationary noise sources by zoning…

Playing music, TVs, or sound systems loud enough to be plainly audible inside a neighbor's closed home or vehicle is…

Norfolk's general noise curfew runs from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.: under Sec. 26-6(a)(2), any audio player or similar…

Portsmouth's quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. in residential zones, when sound measured at 55 dBA or higher…

Prince William County Code Ch. 14 sets nighttime (10 p.m.-6 a.m. for people) rules and decibel caps. Under the…

Roanoke's noise ordinance makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor and public nuisance to run radios, TVs, stereos or musical…

Roanoke County's noise ordinance runs a general 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew across a list of specific activities in…

Stafford County bans plainly audible noise from radios, stereos, instruments and amplifiers between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00…

Suffolk uses a plainly-audible standard, not decibels. Under City Code Chapter 34, Article VI, sound heard across a…

Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., sound audible in a neighbor's home over 55 dBA violates city code, measured indoors near…

Virginia Beach bans bulldozers, cranes, backhoes, pile drivers, jackhammers and similar construction equipment from…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, construction, demolition and maintenance sound is barred…

Construction, demolition and power-equipment noise in Alexandria is barred outside Table I's window: weekdays before 7…

Arlington County's Noise Control Ordinance confines loud construction work to Daytime hours only, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on…

Construction, demolition, alteration, repair, or excavation noise in Chesapeake is barred overnight: 10:00 p.m. to 6:30…

Chesterfield County's noise ordinance sets no separate construction-hours curfew, but it bans plainly audible lawn…

Fairfax County bars outdoor construction, repair, demolition or grading noise between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday through…

Hampton bans construction and demolition noise that's plainly audible in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00…

Hanover County's noise ordinance bars operating construction, repair, alteration or demolition equipment outdoors…

Henrico County bars construction, demolition and street-or-parking-lot cleaning noise that is plainly audible in a…

Loudoun County bans construction, demolition, and maintenance work that produces sound between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. on…

Lynchburg confines construction noise to daylight hours. Sound from building, repair, remodeling, demolition or grading…

Norfolk bars bulldozers, jackhammers, chain saws, pile drivers, and other construction equipment from running between…

Construction equipment gets a break from Portsmouth's noise ordinance only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Outside that…

Prince William County Code § 14-4(c) lets permitted construction run 7 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on…

Richmond exempts construction, repair, remodeling, demolition and grading noise from its sound ordinance only between…

Construction, repair, alteration or demolition equipment cannot run in Roanoke County between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m…

Construction, repair, remodeling, demolition, and grading noise is exempt from Spotsylvania County's noise limits only…

Permitted construction equipment in a Stafford County residential zone can run 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekdays and…

Suffolk bars operating construction, demolition, or repair equipment between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. within 100 yards of an…

Albemarle County makes it unlawful and a nuisance for an owner to harbor an animal that howls, barks, or makes other…

Alexandria's nuisance ordinance makes it unlawful for a dog to bark, howl or bay loud enough to be 'plainly audible' in…

Arlington County treats a persistently noisy pet as a noise violation. Code § 15-6.L makes it unlawful for an owner to…

Chesapeake bans keeping an animal that howls, barks, meows, or squawks for more than 10 minutes in any 30-minute…

In Chesterfield County it is unlawful to let an animal or bird make noise that is plainly audible at least once a…

Fairfax County's noise ordinance makes it a violation for an owner to let a dog or other animal bark loud enough to be…

Frederick County treats a persistently noisy dog as a noise violation only after the Sheriff has given written notice…

Hampton treats a dog barking at least once a minute for 10 straight minutes, audible in a neighbor's home or 100+ feet…

Hanover County's noise ordinance treats an animal's howling, barking, whining, meowing or squawking as a noise…

Henrico County's noise code treats a barking dog like any other nuisance sound: under Sec. 10-68(3), an animal that is…

Loudoun County's animal-noise ordinance, Section 612.19(a)(5), makes it unlawful to own or harbor an animal that howls…

Lynchburg treats a dog or cat that barks, meows, whines, howls or cries in an excessive, continuous or untimely fashion…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Code Sec. 7-77 makes it a noise disturbance to own, keep or…

Newport News makes animal or bird noise a public nuisance if it carries across a property line or into a neighbor's…

Norfolk requires owners to control their animals so they do not become a public nuisance, and specifically names…

A barking dog becomes a code violation in Portsmouth once a neighbor has asked the owner to stop and the animal keeps…

Prince William County Code § 14-5.1 makes it unlawful to let any animal or bird (except farm animals in agricultural…

Richmond bars owners from letting a dog, cat or other animal create sound that is plainly audible inside a neighbor's…

Roanoke declares any dog a public nuisance if its loud, frequent or habitual barking or howling disturbs the peace of a…

Roanoke County treats a dog's noise as a public nuisance once it's plainly audible at least once a minute for ten…

Spotsylvania County bars letting a dog or other animal bark or make noise plainly audible inside a neighbor's home for…

A Stafford County animal or bird that is plainly audible at least once a minute for ten straight minutes, either inside…

Suffolk prohibits keeping any animal whose frequent or long-continued noise is plainly audible across a residential…

Virginia Beach bans letting a dog bark, whine, howl, or cry without provocation in a loud, continuous or untimely…

Arlington County has banned gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums outright: Code § 15-6.Q makes it unlawful to…

Alexandria bans gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums outright at all times under City Code § 11-5-4(16)(a); other…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, routine yard maintenance sound, including mowing, trimming…

Running a leaf blower, lawn edger, power fan, or other gas or electric powered equipment is banned in Chesapeake from…

Chesterfield County Code § 14-27(g) bars plainly audible noise from lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree work or…

Fairfax County's Noise Ordinance limits when power lawn equipment can run, and it singles out leaf blowers and chain…

Hanover County's noise ordinance bars noise from leaf removal, lawn care, gardening, tree work or landscaping that…

Henrico County bars lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree work and other landscaping noise that is plainly audible…

Lynchburg restricts power lawn and leaf-removal equipment to the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. under the city's…

Norfolk bans lawn care noise audible inside a neighbor's home between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The rule covers leaf blowers…

Prince William County has no leaf-blower-specific ban or hour rule. Powered lawn equipment must simply stay within the…

Richmond exempts domestic power tools such as mowers, chain saws and weed eaters from its sound ordinance only when…

Stafford County bars plainly audible lawn care and leaf removal noise in residential zoning districts between 10:00…

Hampton bars audible lawn-care noise in residential areas between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., covering leaf blowers, mowers…

Loudoun County bars running power lawn or landscaping equipment, including leaf blowers, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m…

Section 15-6.F bars playing a radio, stereo, loudspeaker or musical instrument loudly enough to be heard inside another…

Using any loudspeaker or sound amplifier in Stafford County requires a sheriff's office permit costing one dollar per…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, outdoor amplified music and public address systems are…

Amplified sound in Alexandria's streets, sidewalks, parks and other public outdoor space may not exceed 75 dB(A) from 7…

Loudspeakers, stereos, and other amplified sound in Chesapeake go quiet at 10:00 p.m. on weeknights and stay that way…

Outdoor music at a party in Chesterfield County is unlawful when plainly audible in a neighbor's home or at 50+ feet…

Outdoor loudspeakers and instruments on recreational grounds must stop by 10 p.m. and stay within the county's daytime…

Frederick County bars playing a radio, amplifier, musical instrument or similar device so it is plainly audible or…

Citywide, Hampton bars running a radio, speaker, or other sound device so loud it is plainly audible 100 or more feet…

Hanover County bans running a radio, musical instrument, TV or phonograph loud enough to carry across a property line…

Henrico County bars any radio, speaker, stereo or musical instrument from being plainly audible 50 or more feet away in…

Loudoun County bans outdoor music after 11:00 p.m. on any use governed by the Zoning Ordinance's use-specific noise…

Lynchburg bans operating any radio, stereo, loudspeaker or other sound-amplifying device, indoors or outdoors, at a…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Code Sec. 7-77 makes it a noise disturbance to run a radio…

Newport News bans playing a radio, stereo, loudspeaker or any other amplification system so loudly it is "plainly…

Norfolk bans loudspeakers, PA systems, and amplifiers, including car audio, from running between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00…

Prince William County Code § 14-5(6) prohibits any sound production device that emits sound audible 50 feet or more…

Richmond caps outdoor amplified and acoustic music at 75 dBA measured ten feet from the instrument or speaker between…

Roanoke bans loudspeakers, PA systems and mobile sound trucks that amplify sound for a commercial purpose anywhere on a…

Exterior loudspeakers and other sound-amplification equipment, whether mounted on a building, a vehicle, or used…

Spotsylvania County bans operating a car stereo, tape player, CD player or other amplifier inside a motor vehicle loud…

Suffolk bars amplified radios, instruments, and speakers that are plainly audible across a residential property line or…

Outdoor amplified sound like stereos, TVs and speakers is capped at 80 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 75 dB(A)…

Fairfax County restricts land use and mandates soundproofing near airports through its Airport Noise Impact Overlay…

Loudoun's Airport Impact Overlay District bars new homes inside the Ldn 65 aircraft-noise contour around Dulles and…

Prince William County bans flying powered model aircraft outdoors at night anywhere in the county. Sec. 14-5(5) of the…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, buildings proposed inside the Airport Impact Area's noise…

In Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, the Airport Overlay District requires the…

Hampton doesn't regulate helicopter or aircraft noise directly, aviation is federally controlled, but its Noise Contour…

Stafford County bans operating powered model aircraft outdoors at night under County Code Sec. 16-6(a)(4). Anyone who…

New homes and buildings inside NAS Oceana's airport noise zones must include sound-reduction construction meeting the…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, the zoning ordinance's Airport Safety Overlay District…

Aircraft noise is fully exempt from Chesapeake's noise ordinance. Sec. 26-141(8) excuses all aircraft under FAA…

Henrico County's noise ordinance does not reach aircraft at all: Sec. 10-69(9) lists 'locomotives and other railroad…

Norfolk's noise chapter carves aircraft out entirely: Sec. 26-5(8) exempts all aircraft under Federal Aviation…

Portsmouth's excessive-sound ordinance, Code of Ordinances Sec. 24-255, carves out a specific exemption for aircraft…

Roanoke County's noise ordinance does not reach aircraft. Section 13-19 of the County Code lists twelve categories of…

Virginia Code § 15.2-980 lets localities adopt civil penalties for noise-ordinance violations, capped at $250 for a…

Albemarle County sets hard decibel ceilings by receiving zone under Sec. 4.18.04: 60 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime…

Alexandria enforces fixed decibel ceilings on noise crossing a property line, sized to the zoning of the source: 55…

Table I of Arlington County's Noise Control Ordinance sets maximum sound levels by zoning district and time of day…

Chesapeake caps sound at 55 dBA measured on residential property, and 60 dBA on commercial or agricultural property…

Chesterfield County bars outdoor loudspeakers and sound devices at stores, warehouses and commercial buildings when…

Fairfax County caps sound from industrial-district sources at 72 dBA by day and 65 dBA at night, measured at the…

In Hampton's DT-1, DT-2, and DT-3 downtown zoning districts, amplified music or an outdoor band cannot exceed 60 dBA…

Hanover County caps noise crossing onto another property at set decibel levels tied to the receiving property's zoning…

Henrico measures noise by how far it carries and what time it is, not a decibel meter reading. Amplified sound and…

Loudoun County's Zoning Ordinance sets four round-the-clock noise ceilings in Table 7.05.03-1: 60 dB(A) for mixed-use…

Lynchburg sets numeric noise ceilings by land use and time of day in Section 26-56: 55/50 dB(A) day/night in…

Montgomery County caps stationary noise sources by zone and time of day: 57 dB(A) daytime and 52 dB(A) nighttime in…

Norfolk caps ambient sound by zoning district under Table II of City Code § 26-6(c). Residential and most…

Portsmouth caps measurable sound at the source's property line: 55 dBA in residential zones overnight (10 p.m. to 6…

Under the re-enacted Prince William County Code § 14-4 (eff. May 1, 2026), maximum sound levels measured at the…

Richmond sets numeric sound ceilings by property type in Sec. 11-37: 65 dBA measured anywhere on a house or duplex lot…

Roanoke County's only numeric decibel limit in its code applies to small wind energy systems: the zoning ordinance caps…

Spotsylvania County sets maximum sound levels by zoning classification under Sec. 14-52: 65 dBA daytime and 60 dBA…

Stafford County caps noise at the property boundary by zoning classification: 60 dBA daytime/55 nighttime in…

Virginia Beach caps residential noise at 55 dBA overnight and 65 dBA during the day, measured inside the neighboring…

Commercial and industrial site plans in Newport News must build in noise abatement measures under the city council's…

Vehicle noise in Chesapeake includes restrictions on modified exhaust, squealing tires, and loud car audio. Sound…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, County Code § 7-105(A) bars motor vehicle and motorcycle…

Alexandria requires every motor vehicle exhaust to discharge through a muffler under City Code § 11-5-4(7), and bars…

Table II of Arlington County's Noise Control Ordinance caps motor-vehicle noise by class and speed: motorcycles at…

Chesterfield County bans playing a vehicle's radio or sound system so it is plainly audible 50 or more feet from the…

Modified exhaust, loud car stereos audible at 50 feet, sustained horn use, and revving engines in residential zones are…

Fairfax County prohibits modified exhaust, unnecessary engine revving, loud car stereos plainly audible at 50 feet, and…

Hampton bans vehicles with cut-out mufflers, straight exhaust, or amplified stereo sound that's audible 50 feet away…

Hanover County bans blasting a car stereo audible 50 feet away, honking a horn except as a warning, and running a…

Henrico County makes it unlawful to play a car stereo, radio or other sound-amplifying device inside or on a motor…

Herndon prohibits modified exhaust systems, engine racing, loud stereos in vehicles, and prolonged horn use, with…

Loudoun County bans tire-spinning, engine-racing and unmuffled exhausts on motor vehicles under its noise ordinance…

Lynchburg requires every vehicle on its streets to run a factory-standard or equivalent exhaust system that prevents…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Code Sec. 7-81 bars operating a motor vehicle so as to…

Newport News bans playing a car radio, stereo or other amplification system so loudly it's "plainly audible" inside…

Norfolk prohibits modified exhausts, engine braking without need, and car audio plainly audible at 50 feet. VA Code…

Portsmouth treats certain vehicle sounds as automatic noise violations with no meter needed: an unnecessary car horn, a…

Prince William County Code § 14-5 sets a vehicular decibel table (e.g., motorcycles 82 dBA at 35 mph or less, 86 dBA…

Richmond enforces vehicle noise through Virginia Code 46.2-1049 (adequate muffler) and local Chapter 38 rules. Modified…

Roanoke bars vehicle stereos that can be heard more than 50 feet away while parked or driving on a public street, and…

Roanoke County treats two kinds of vehicle sound as noise disturbances any time of day, not just overnight: driving…

Spotsylvania County caps how loud a car, truck or motorcycle can be on public roads: engine and exhaust noise cannot…

Playing a car stereo, radio or other sound device attached to a vehicle so it is plainly audible fifty feet away…

Vehicle noise in Vienna is regulated through both Town Code and Virginia state law. Modified exhaust systems…

Loud car stereos and excessive exhaust noise are banned citywide, with vehicle sound capped by a dBA speed-class table…