Noise from Specific Sources in Virginia (2026)

In Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, § 165-705.01.A(5)(c) requires every data center's…

Hampton's zoning ordinance doesn't set a decibel limit for air conditioning and heating equipment: it controls…

Spotsylvania County holds air conditioners, heat pumps, and other heating and cooling equipment to the daytime noise…

Norfolk exempts HVAC units from its noise ordinance as long as they don't exceed the ambient noise level by more than…

Prince William County exempts residential heating and cooling systems, including air conditioners, heat pumps, and…

York County, Virginia exempts ordinary air conditioning, refrigeration and heating equipment noise from its ordinance…

Central air conditioners, heat pumps and other home appliances are exempt from Albemarle County's noise ordinance as…

Chesapeake's noise ordinance exempts HVAC equipment outright. Sec. 26-141(15) excuses 'noises generated by the…

Residential heat pumps, AC units and pool pumps are exempt from Fairfax County's noise ordinance if run to manufacturer…

Heat pumps and air conditioners in unincorporated Fauquier County are exempt from the county noise ordinance's decibel…

In Hampton's Coliseum Central overlay, small live-entertainment venues need a zoning administrator permit that caps…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, sound from a device inside a restaurant, dance hall or…

Bars and restaurants with outdoor seating in Arlington's Mixed Use Districts face a late-night quiet rule. Code §…

Bars, lounges and taverns count as 'restaurants' under Charlottesville's noise code, so they fall under the same…

Hanover County caps sound inside any place of public entertainment or assembly, bars and nightclubs included, at 90…

James City County's Noise Ordinance singles out amplified sound at restaurants, bars, coffee shops and cafes in the…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Code Sec. 7-78 lets a bar, club or other place of public…

Bars and restaurants on Granby Street can't let amplified music carry past 10 feet from their entrance between 10 p.m…

Bars, restaurants and other establishments serving food or drink in Richmond may generate up to 80 dBA between 7:00…

Virginia Beach caps sound from restaurants, bars and nightclubs at 80 dBA during the day and 75 dBA overnight, measured…

Alexandria treats a malfunctioning car alarm as a public nuisance under City Code Sec. 10-8-2: once triggered, an alarm…

Loudoun County bans sounding a vehicle horn, signaling device, or alarm on any street or public place for more than…

Virginia Beach caps car alarm sounding at 10 minutes in residential areas and 15 minutes elsewhere, unless the alarm is…

Portsmouth's noise ordinance exempts burglar and vehicle alarms from its decibel limits and per se noise offenses while…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, a vehicle's horn or warning device, including a back-up…

Car and security alarms are carved out of Charlottesville's vehicle amplified-sound rule. City Code Section 16-9(c)…

Chesapeake exempts automobile alarms from its noise ordinance only until the owner or tenant has been notified and…

Fauquier County's noise ordinance specifically exempts alarms and other noise from a motor vehicle locking or…

Prince William County's noise ordinance bans amplified sound blasting from a parked or moving vehicle beyond 50 feet…

In Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, § 165-705.01.A(2) confines data center generator…

A home or business generator in Portsmouth must stay under the same decibel ceilings as any other sound source: 55 dBA…

York County, Virginia requires stationary internal combustion engines and generators, along with chain saws, power…

Chesapeake's noise ordinance exempts backup generators run during power outages or emergencies from any decibel limit…

Fairfax County's noise ordinance carves out backup generators in § 108.1-5-1(g). Running one during a power outage…

Prince William County exempts emergency generators from its decibel limits entirely while running during an outage…

In Albemarle County outside Charlottesville and Scottsville, sound from a power generator is exempt from the county…

Arlington County exempts emergency backup electric generators from its noise rules outright. Section 15-5.F.6 removes…

Fauquier County exempts backup generators from its noise ordinance entirely when they run during power outages caused…

Loudoun County's noise ordinance exempts sound from power generators run during power outages and other emergencies, so…

Norfolk exempts generator noise from its noise ordinance during power outages or other emergency or necessary…

Arlington County limits how loud a delivery truck can legally be on county streets. Code § 15-5.B routes all motor…

Loading, unloading, or handling containers, boxes, and crates near residential property is banned in Chesapeake between…

Fairfax County stops outdoor truck loading and unloading within 100 yards of a home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. under the…

In unincorporated Fauquier County, refuse collection and sanitation service vehicles are exempt from the county noise…

Hanover County's noise ordinance makes it a violation to load or unload a commercial motor vehicle outdoors within 100…

Delivery trucks get no special break in Portsmouth's noise code: they're held to the same dBA limits as any other sound…

Prince William County bans loading and unloading trucks near homes late at night. Sec. 14-5(3) makes it a violation to…

Roanoke County bars outdoor truck loading and unloading within 100 yards of a home between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m…

Stafford County bars loading, unloading or operating trucks and other vehicles outdoors within one hundred yards of an…

Delivery trucks, buses and other public and private transportation, plus refuse and sanitation trucks, are exempt from…

Beyond its overall dBA ceiling, Arlington County's Table I sets separate octave-band limits reaching down to 31.5 Hz…

Chesapeake tightens its decibel limits by 5 dB for impulsive noise the administrator finds includes amplified bass…

Frederick County defines 'plainly audible' noise to specifically include rhythmic bass tones, so music that carries…

Hampton's noise ordinance explicitly targets bass: its 'plainly audible' standard says detecting bass reverberations…

Hanover County's noise ordinance bars operating a radio, tape player, compact disc player or other sound device on a…

James City County's noise ordinance defines 'plainly audible' to specifically cover bass. Sec. 15-20(c) states that the…

Norfolk's noise code specifically reaches bass-heavy sound: Sec. 26-2 defines "plainly audible and discernable" to…

Blasting a car stereo's bass hard enough to be felt is a stand-alone offense in Portsmouth, no decibel meter required…

Prince William County caps steady tonal sound, the droning hum, rumble or buzz thrown off by HVAC units, transformers…

Boomboxes, car and home stereos, and amplifiers in Virginia Beach are capped at 80 dB(A) daytime and 75 dB(A) overnight…