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Atlanta noise ordinance: quiet hours and who to call

When are quiet hours in Atlanta?

Quiet hours
From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, music, voices and party noise can't be plainly audible 100 feet or more away or past the property line. Other times the distance is 300 feet. In apartments, condos, townhouses and duplexes, noise can't be heard 5 feet past the shared wall at any time. Construction near homes: not from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays, or 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
Right now

Checking the clock for Atlanta.

Who to call
Dial 311 and choose option 2 (police and fire non-emergency), text 911, or use the City's non-emergency dispatch request page. Atlanta Police non-emergency: 404-658-6666. Emergencies: 911.
The law
Atlanta City Code Chapter 74, Article IV (Noise Control), §§ 74-129 to 74-137, and § 18-11 for animals. Read the code

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Atlanta's noise rules are Article IV of Chapter 74 of the City Code, called the "Atlanta Noise Ordinance" (§ 74-129). The article was rewritten in 2017 and uses distance tests, not decibel limits. The barking dog rule is § 18-11.

The general rule

Section 74-131 bans four kinds of noise when they are "plainly audible" at a set distance from the building or vehicle they come from, or past the property line, whichever is farther:

The distance depends on the time (§ 74-131(a)–(b)):

Apartments, condos and townhouses

In apartments, condos, townhouses, duplexes and similar homes that share walls, no one may make noise that is plainly audible to another person 5 feet past the shared wall or boundary (§ 74-131(c)). The boundary includes the ceiling, floor and walls. "Noise" here means yelling, shouting, singing and similar sounds, or sound from a stereo, TV, instrument or similar device. This rule has no hours, so it applies at any time.

Barking dogs

An owner can't let an animal bark, whine or make similar sounds "persistently or continuously for a period of ten (10) minutes or longer" unless it is kept in an enclosure that muffles the noise (§ 18-11(a)). "Persistently or continuously" means nonstop, with breaks of less than 20 seconds (§ 18-11(b)).

Animal control officers or sworn police officers enforce this rule. The owner can be charged if an officer sees the violation, or if an officer gets a sworn affidavit from one of these (§ 18-11(e)):

The people signing must live or run a business within 1,000 feet. Fines are $150 for a first violation, $250 for a second, $350 for a third, $500 for a fourth and $1,000 after that (§ 18-11(f)).

Construction and yard work

Construction noise, including from saws, drills, cranes, pile drivers and nail guns, can't be plainly audible more than 100 feet past the property line in a residential zoning district during these hours (§ 74-134(a)):

Between 7 a.m. (9 a.m. on weekends and holidays) and 7 p.m., the article doesn't apply to construction noise. Loading and unloading trucks has the same 100-foot test from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. (§ 74-134(b)).

Leaf blowers, lawn mowers, chainsaws and other motorized yard tools can't be used from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. in residential or mixed-use zoning districts, or within 300 feet of one (§ 74-133). Noise from businesses in the normal course of business is excluded from the article (§ 74-132(j)), but § 74-136 applies the distance rules to businesses near residential and mixed-use districts.

How to complain

ATL311's noise complaint page says to contact police and fire non-emergency by dialing 311 and choosing option 2, texting 911, or using the City's online dispatch request page at atlantaga.gov/request-dispatch. It says an officer will be sent to investigate. The Atlanta Police Department lists 404-658-6666 as its non-emergency number. For an emergency, call 911.

Penalties

Violations of the noise article are punished under § 1-8 (§ 74-137). That means a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, up to six months of work on public works, up to six months of supervised home confinement, or any mix of these (§ 1-8(c)(1)). Each day a violation happens is a separate offense (§ 74-137).

Keeping a record

Atlanta's rules are about what a person can hear at a set distance, and the dog rule needs 10 minutes of nonstop barking. Notes on where you stood and when the noise started and stopped help. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app logs each incident with the date, time, length and an estimated decibel level. It exports a PDF report. Phone readings are estimates.

Atlanta noise FAQ

What are the quiet hours in Atlanta?

From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, music, voices and party noise can't be plainly audible 100 feet or more away or past the property line. Other times the distance is 300 feet. In apartments, condos, townhouses and duplexes, noise can't be heard 5 feet past the shared wall at any time. Construction near homes: not from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays, or 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays.

Who do I call about a noisy neighbor in Atlanta?

Dial 311 and choose option 2 (police and fire non-emergency), text 911, or use the City's non-emergency dispatch request page. Atlanta Police non-emergency: 404-658-6666. Emergencies: 911.

Where are Atlanta's noise rules?

Atlanta City Code Chapter 74, Article IV (Noise Control), §§ 74-129 to 74-137, and § 18-11 for animals. There is a link to the official code at the top and bottom of this page.

What is the fine for a noise violation in Atlanta?

Noise violations are punished under § 1-8: a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, up to six months of public works or home confinement, or a mix of these. Each day is a separate offense. Barking dog fines are set separately, from $150 for a first violation up to $1,000.

Sources

Last checked . Laws change, so check the official code before you act. This is not legal advice.