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How to file a noise complaint in Cobb County

Last updated: November 4, 2026

Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Cobb County acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Official text: Cobb County Code Chapter 50 Article VII (Noise), as amended October 27, 2026. Official Code of Cobb County on Municode, "Codified through Amendment of November 20, 2025. (Supp. No. 53)", version dated Jun 29, 2026: Part I, Chapter 50 (Environment), Article VII (Noise), Secs. 50-256 to 50-260: Sec. 50-256 (Amd. of 10-24-23); Sec. 50-257 (Ord. of 10-12-82, § 2(a); Code 1977, § 3-18.5-2; Ord. of 7-27-04; Amd. of 2-23-10; Amd. of 10-24-23); Sec. 50-258 (Ord. of 10-12-82, § 2(b); Code 1977, § 3-18.5-3; Ord. of 9-10-02; Ord. of 7-27-04; Amd. of 2-23-10; Amd. of 2-27-18; Amd. of 2-9-21; Amd. of 10-24-23; Amd. of 11-20-25); Sec. 50-259 (Ord. of 10-12-82, § 3; Code 1977, § 3-18.5-4; Amd. of 2-24-15; Amd. of 7-28-15; Amd. of 10-24-23); Sec. 50-260 (Amd. of 10-24-23). Secs. 50-257(b) and 50-258(15) were amended by the County's 2026 Code Amendments, Part I, Chapter 50, Package I, marked adopted October 27, 2026, read in the County's PDF "2026 Oct Chapter 50 Final.pdf"; Municode's June 29, 2026 version does not carry that change. The amendment pages read name no effective date; Sec. 1-5 says an ordinance that does not provide for a different time takes effect immediately upon adoption. Penalty: Chapter 1, Sec. 1-10 (Code 1977, § 3-1-10; Amd. of 2-25-14). Sec. 10-9 (nuisance animals) as shown on the County's Animal Services page. Text read 2026-11-04..

Where to file in Cobb County

For loud music, a party or other noise happening now in unincorporated Cobb County, call the Police Department's non-emergency number, (770) 499-3911, and call 911 for an emergency. No County page we checked names a noise complaint office, and Article VII does not say which department enforces it. The non-emergency number is the route those pages support: Cobb County 911 lists it as its Non-Emergency Contact Number, and Animal Services calls it the Police Department's non-emergency number. The County directory lists the Police Department at (770) 499-3900. Code Enforcement is at (770) 528-2180 and codeenforcement@cobbcounty.gov, and takes complaints online without registration, by phone or by email, but its page does not mention noise and says the division investigates and enforces zoning complaints. A violation is "punishable as provided in section 1-10" (Sec. 50-257(a)). Sec. 1-10(c) says a person convicted shall be punished by a fine and a sentence of imprisonment and/or probation, up to the maximum Georgia law sets under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-60. The County's code prints no dollar figure, and that statute was not read for this page, so none is given here. A fine does not prevent revocation or suspension of a license, permit or franchise (Sec. 1-10(d)), and a violation that continues over time is a nuisance a court can order stopped (Sec. 1-10(e)). For a barking dog, call 770-499-3911: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. you can ask for an Animal Services Officer, and after 5 p.m. on weekdays and throughout weekends calls go to the Police Department's non-emergency line. Animal Services' own number is (770) 499-4136. Article VII does not apply inside a city's limits, so in a city, check with that city. County General Information is (770) 528-1000. Sources: https://www.cobbcounty.gov/911/contact-cobb-county-911, https://www.cobbcounty.gov/communications/info-center/county-contact-directory, https://www.cobbcounty.gov/community-development/enforcement/code-enforcement, https://aca-prod.accela.com/COBBCO/Default.aspx?module=Enforce&TabName=Enforce, https://www.cobbcounty.gov/animal-services/nuisance-animals, https://assets.cobbcounty.gov/files/2026-10/2026%20Oct%20Chapter%2050%20Final.pdf and https://library.municode.com/ga/cobb_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIOFCOCOCOGE_CH1GEPR.

From the county's official pages and code, verified 2026-11-04. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the county's main switchboard can redirect you.

Before you call

1. Log it. Date, start and end time, what the noise was and where you heard it from. Three dated entries carry more weight than one angry call.
2. Measure it if you can. Cobb County sets measured limits for some noise, so a reading can help, and a dated log counts either way. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
3. Check the rule. Quiet hours in Cobb County: 65 dBA limit from 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Friday and Saturday) until 6:59 a.m. The Cobb County noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
4. Try the source once. A neighbour, landlord or venue manager often fixes it faster than the county does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.

What happens after you file

Noise reports often wait behind urgent calls, so a first call may not end the noise that night. What it does is start a record against the address. Repeated reports, a dated log and a reading are what move a case from a warning to a citation. Where the county needs an officer to witness the noise, as most audibility rules require, file while it is happening rather than the next morning.

How loud is it nearby? The Atlanta noise map shows the federal transportation-noise data for every neighbourhood, and the apartment quiet hours page compares every city's night rule.

Who do I call for a noise complaint in Cobb County?

For loud music, a party or other noise happening now in unincorporated Cobb County, call the Police Department's non-emergency number, (770) 499-3911, and call 911 for an emergency.

What are the quiet hours in Cobb County?

65 dBA limit from 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Friday and Saturday) until 6:59 a.m. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Cobb County noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Cobb County?

Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use the non-emergency police line or the department named above; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.

What evidence helps a noise complaint in Cobb County?

Cobb County uses decibel limits for some noise and other tests for the rest, so keep a dated log and take readings when you can; the rules above say which applies.

This page is a plain-language guide to the reporting route, not legal advice. Ordinances and contact numbers get amended; check the linked official sources before relying on a specific provision.