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Charlotte noise ordinance: quiet hours and who to call

Charlotte's noise rules are in Article III of Chapter 15 of the City Code, §§ 15-61 through 15-69. The article has a general ban on unreasonably loud noise and firm decibel limits for amplified sound. It sets hours for construction and yard work near homes, and it has a barking-dog rule. Fines climb with repeat violations.

The general rule

Section 15-61(a) makes it unlawful to intentionally produce, cause or take part in producing "any unreasonably loud and disturbing noise in the city."

Section 15-61(d) lists what may be weighed in deciding whether a noise is unreasonably loud:

• its volume
• the background noise in the area
• how close it is to homes or other places where people sleep
• the zoning and character of the area
• the time of day or night
• how long it lasts
• whether it is recurrent, intermittent or constant

The decision has to be made without regard to the content of any message in the sound. Noise made inside a building and not audible outside it is exempt (§ 15-61(e)(3)).

Amplified sound near homes

Section 15-64(a)(1) sets limits for sound amplification equipment, measured anywhere within the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property:

• 55 dB(A) from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday
• 55 dB(A) from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
• 50 dB(A) at all other times

In apartments, condos and other buildings, property lines are hard to draw. So the same limits apply inside another unit in the same complex (§ 15-64(a)(2)). That is the rule most apartment renters will want.

A private property owner can ask the police for a permit for louder sound, up to 70 dB(A) at the nearest home. It is good for no more than 15 hours a year, and only in daytime and evening hours (§ 15-65).

Construction, yard work and other machinery

Section 15-63(a) bars these activities from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. in residentially zoned areas or within 300 feet of an occupied home in any zone:

• front-end loaders collecting refuse
• construction machinery, which the section lists in detail, from air compressors and pile drivers to power tools and sledgehammers
• garage machinery
• lawn mowers and other outdoor domestic tools

Any other mechanical noise that registers more than 70 dB(A) at the nearest complainant's property line is a violation at any hour (§ 15-63(b)). City work in a right-of-way can be exempt when needed for traffic, utilities or a state requirement (§ 15-63(c)).

Barking dogs and other animals

Section 15-66 bans keeping any dog, other animal or bird that, "by frequent or habitually howling, yelping, barking or otherwise, causes loud noises and produces seriously annoying disturbance to any person or to the neighborhood." No decibel reading is needed.

Bars and restaurants

Commercial establishments have separate outdoor limits measured in dB(C), which picks up bass: 85 dB(C) during the day and evening and 60 dB(C) late at night (§ 15-65.1). The city's noise page explains that businesses with repeat violations can be labeled chronic noise producers and referred to code enforcement for a noise mitigation plan.

How to complain

The city's noise page says you can report noise by calling 311 or 704-336-7600 at any time. Call 911 if the noise is creating a nuisance at the time of the call. Enforcement is shared by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the code enforcement division of Housing & Neighborhood Services.

Penalties

Under § 15-68(1), a police officer can assess a civil penalty:

• $100 for a first violation
• $500 for a second violation within one year of the first
• $1,000 for a third or later violation within that year

A penalty can be assessed each calendar day. A late fee of $50 applies if a penalty is not paid within 30 days (§ 15-68(6)). The city may instead charge a Class 3 misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 (§ 15-68(2)) or go to court for an injunction (§ 15-68(3)).

Keeping a record

Charlotte's limits are specific: 50 dB(A) inside your unit after 9 p.m. on a weeknight is a clear number to compare against. The Noisy Neighbor iPhone app logs each incident with the time, length and an estimated decibel level. It exports a PDF report or complaint letter. Phone readings are uncalibrated. So they show the pattern. An officer's meter decides the violation.

Sources

• Charlotte City Code Chapter 15, Article III, Noise (Municode)
• Charlotte City Code § 15-63, Sounds impacting residential life
• Charlotte City Code § 15-64, Amplified sound
• Charlotte City Code § 15-68, Enforcement and penalties
• City of Charlotte: Noise Ordinance

Last checked October 17, 2026. Laws change, so check the official code before you act. This is not legal advice.