Noise ordinances › Arlington County, VA

Arlington County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 5, 2026

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Quiet hours in Arlington County

Chapter 15 defines "Daytime" as 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, and "Nighttime" as every other hour (§ 15-3), so the night period runs 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. before a weekday and 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. before a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. At Nighttime: the residential-district limits in Table I drop from 60 to 55 dBA continuous and from 95 to 90 dB impulsive (§ 15-5); construction that exceeds the Table I limits is not permitted, since it is allowed only in the Daytime (§ 15-5.D.1, except emergency repairs to public utilities and infrastructure by the utilities, by local, state or federal governments, or by their contractors); and these acts are banned: selling by outcry, except at licensed entertainment events (§ 15-6.D); sound devices cast onto public streets or lands for commercial advertising or to attract attention, with stated exceptions (§ 15-6.E); yelling, wailing, shouting or screaming by a person in a group of four or more, heard in an R or RA district or a townhome district inside another person's home at least 20 feet from the source, or at least 50 feet away across a property line or at the curb (§ 15-6.G); refuse collection with a refuse vehicle, subject to the County exemption (§ 15-6.H); lawn or garden maintenance with motorized equipment (§ 15-6.J); and motorized leaf-blowing devices in any R district (§ 15-6.K). Three yelling rules have their own clocks: midnight to 9:00 a.m. in a Mixed Use District when heard inside another person's dwelling or lodging unit at least 100 feet away (§ 15-6.N); midnight to 6:00 a.m. for people in an outdoor cafe, exterior rooftop seating area or other exterior area of a retail use in a Mixed Use District, when heard inside another person's nearby dwelling or lodging unit at least 100 feet away, with the owner, manager, assistant manager or other person in charge responsible (§ 15-6.O); and 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. anywhere in the County when heard inside another person's dwelling or lodging unit (§ 15-6.P); all three yield to the Special Events Policy. Permitted special events must come back within the Table I and II limits after 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and after 10:00 p.m. on a Friday, Saturday, legal holiday or day before a legal holiday (§ 15-5.E). Music and amplified sound (§ 15-6.F) and animal noise (§ 15-6.L) have no time band and apply at all hours.

Decibel limits

Yes. Table I (§ 15-5.A) caps sound from all sources other than motor vehicles by the zoning district of the property that receives the noise: CM, M-1, M-2 and P-S, 70 dBA continuous and 120 dB impulsive at all times; C-1, C-2, C-3, C-1-O, C-1-R, C-TH, C-O-1.0, C-O-1.5, C-O-2.5, C-O, C-O-A, C-R, C-O-Rosslyn, C-O-Crystal City, RA-H, RA-H-3.2, RA4.8, MU-VS and R-C, 65 dBA continuous and 100 dB impulsive at all times; R-5, R-6, R-8, R-10, R-20, R2-7, R-15-30T, R-10T, RA14-26, RA8-18, RA6-15, RA7-16, S-3A and S-D, 60 dBA continuous and 95 dB impulsive in the Daytime, 55 dBA continuous and 90 dB impulsive at Nighttime. Table I also sets octave-band limits for continuous noise (for the residential districts, from 75 dBA at 31.5 Hz down to 40 dBA at 8,000 Hz by day and 70 to 35 dBA at night). Measurement (§ 15-5.C): from any built street at its curb or the edge of the pavement, or from any location on the receiving property; in a multi-unit structure (three or more units), from a common area inside or outside the structure, or from inside another unit with the owner's or tenant's consent, at least four feet from the wall, ceiling, floor or window believed closest to the source, with doors closed and windows in their typical position for the season. Table II (motor vehicles, measured at least 50 feet from the source): motorcycles 80 dBA up to 35 mph and 84 dBA at 35 mph and above; total GVW under 10,000 lbs, 70 and 79 dBA; over 10,000 lbs, 86 and 90 dBA. Noise from construction sites may never exceed 90 dBA (§ 15-5.D.2), and permitted special events may not exceed 90 dBA (§ 15-5.E). A "noise disturbance" is any sound that exceeds the Table I or II limits (§ 15-3), and making one is unlawful (§ 15-6.A); the other acts listed in § 15-6 are prohibited "regardless of the decibel level of that noise" (§ 15-6.B).

What the ordinance actually says

§ 15-3: "“Daytime” means the local time of day between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday."

§ 15-5.A: "Noise from sources other than motor vehicles, unless exempt pursuant to §§ 15-5.F. or 15-15, shall not exceed the noise limits set forth in Table I below for each of the zoning districts indicated during the time of day indicated. The maximum permissible noise shall be that associated with the zoning district classification of the property that receives the noise."

§ 15-6.F: "It shall be unlawful for any person to use, operate, or play, or to permit the use, operation or playing of, any radio, television, phonograph, record, compact disc or tape player, drum, musical instrument, loudspeaker, sound amplifier or similar device or machine which produces, reproduces or amplifies sound in such a manner as to be heard within any dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person at least 20 feet from the source of the sound, or at least 50 feet from the source of the sound and either across any real property boundary or at the curb or on the edge of the pavement of any built street."

§ 15-6.L: "It shall be unlawful for any person who owns, possesses or harbors any animal or bird to permit that animal or bird to create a noise that is audible at least once per minute for ten (10) consecutive minutes within any dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person, at any street edge, or across a real property boundary."

§ 15-5.D.1: "Any construction activities which produce noise which exceeds the noise limits established in Table I shall be permitted only during the Daytime."

§ 15-10.A: "Any person who commits, permits, assists in or attempts any violation of this chapter, whether by act or omission, shall be liable for a civil violation and may, upon the issuance of a citation by the County Manager, be punished by a civil fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for the first violation, and not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for a second or other subsequent violation. ... Each hour the violation goes unabated shall constitute a separate offense."

§ 15-6.Q (Ord. No. 26-16; history note "Effective 1-1-29"): "It shall be unlawful to operate or permit the operation of any gas-powered leaf blower or gas-powered leaf vacuum at any time."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Arlington County Code (Arlington, Virginia has no city government; it is Arlington County, so the County Code is the local law), Chapter 15 "Noise Control", the "Noise Control Ordinance of Arlington County, Virginia", §§ 15-1 through 15-15: § 15-3 definitions; § 15-5 maximum noise, with Table I (stationary sources) and Table II (motor vehicles) (history: 1-1-75; 8-14-76; 8-25-81; Ord. No. 04-21, 9-18-04; Ord. No. 14-04, 5-10-14, effective 7-1-14); § 15-6 prohibited acts; § 15-9 criminal penalties; § 15-10 civil penalties (Ord. No. 14-04; Ord. No. 20-12, 6-13-20); § 15-12 exemptions issued by the County Manager; § 15-15 exemption for County activities (Ord. No. 06-02, 2-28-06). Every section except § 15-1 cites Ord. No. 14-04 (5-10-14, effective 7-1-14) in its history; §§ 15-3 and 15-6 were last amended by Ord. No. 26-16 (7-18-26), whose history note reads "Effective 1-1-29". Read in the County's official PDF of Chapter 15, headed "Code Updated July 2026", in the County Code collection on arlingtonva.us; the County's code page notes "Not all Code Chapters are current" and that a true copy is available from the County Board Clerk (703-228-3130).). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-05. Ordinances get amended — before acting on a specific provision, check the linked official code. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

How to file a noise complaint in Arlington County

The County's Noise Control Ordinance page routes complaints by type and time: loud parties and music, any time day or night, to Police at 703-558-2222; construction and trash from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays to County Code Enforcement ("Response within 5 days; Call 703-228-3232"), and on weekends, holidays and 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays to Police at 703-558-2222; animals from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 7 days a week, to Code Enforcement at 703-228-3232, and from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. to Police at 703-558-2222; lawn equipment at night, live entertainment and restaurants, and nighttime yelling to Police at 703-558-2222. The page warns that "inspectors and officers must witness the violation" and suggests first approaching the neighbor, property management or a civic association; for community mediation it names Northern Virginia Mediation Services, which provides mediation for the General District Court, while saying the County does not endorse a specific mediator. The Police Department page lists "Non-Emergency: 703-558-2222". The Code Enforcement page lists "Construction noise" among the problems it handles and takes complaints through Permit Arlington (a "Code Enforcement Complaint") or at 703-228-3232 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with cases serviced in three to five business days; that does not match the noise page's "7 days a week" daytime row for animal noise, and the same Code Enforcement page lists "Animal nuisances including leash requirements" among the things Code Enforcement does not address; and on the noise page some click-to-call links printed as 703-558-2222 actually dial 703-228-2222, so use the printed number, which matches the Police Department page. To find out whether a site holds a noise exemption, contact Code Enforcement at 703-228-3232 or codeenforcement@arlingtonva.us; exemption requests are filed through Permit Arlington. Sources: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Building/Codes-Ordinances/Noise-Control-Ordinance and https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/Police-Department and https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Building/Enforcement-Appeals/Code.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Arlington County. For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

(1) Jurisdiction: Arlington has no city government, and the County Code applies throughout; the County's noise page says the ordinance is applied County-wide "with the exception of federal and state regulated properties, as well as thoroughfares". (2) Limits follow the zoning district of the receiving property, and some apartment and mixed-use districts (RA-H, RA-H-3.2, RA4.8, MU-VS and R-C) are in the 65 dBA all-day group rather than the 60/55 residential group. (3) Weekend and holiday mornings are protected until 10:00 a.m., so Friday's night period runs from 9:00 p.m. Friday to 10:00 a.m. Saturday. (4) Construction: noise above Table I is allowed only in the Daytime, construction-site noise may never exceed 90 dBA, and all feasible procedures and measures customarily used in the industry must be used to minimize it (§ 15-5.D). (5) Exemptions from §§ 15-5 and 15-6 (§ 15-5.F): athletic contests and other activities sponsored, authorized or sanctioned by the Department of Parks and Recreation; church bells or carillons; religious or political gatherings and other activities protected by the First Amendment; activities where noise regulation is preempted by Virginia or federal law; warning and alarm signals and their testing, and noise from a duly-authorized parade; and emergency backup generators. Privately owned swim clubs' own athletic contests and scheduled events are exempt from § 15-6 only, and only between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Chapter 15 does not apply to operations at County facilities, County employees or County contractors, or County residential refuse and leaf collection programs (§ 15-15). (6) The County Manager may grant an exemption or partial exemption for up to one year, renewable a year at a time after a hearing, if the potential danger to the community is outweighed by the benefit to the public interest, or compliance would produce serious hardship without equal or greater benefits to the public; the holder must post it at the source, and exceeding its terms is itself unlawful (§§ 15-12, 15-6.M). (7) Gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums: Ord. No. 26-16 (7-18-26) adds a ban on operating them "at any time" (§ 15-6.Q), and the chapter's history note gives its effective date as 1-1-29; the County's Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Information page (https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/CMO/Gas-Powered-Leaf-Blower-Information) confirms the Board adopted it on July 18, 2026 with a 30-month transition and that it takes effect January 1, 2029. Before that date, leaf blowers fall under the Nighttime bans on motorized leaf-blowing devices in R districts (§ 15-6.K) and on lawn or garden maintenance with motorized equipment (§ 15-6.J). (8) Penalties: any violation may be charged as a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $100 to $2,500 or up to 30 days in jail or both, each calendar day a separate offense, and a police officer with probable cause may issue a summons or arrest without a warrant for a violation committed in the officer's presence (§ 15-9); alternatively the County Manager may issue a civil citation of up to $250 for a first violation and up to $500 for later ones, each unabated hour a separate offense, with a rebuttable presumption, when the person responsible cannot be identified, that an owner, tenant, resident, manager or authorized user physically present on the property controls the noise (§ 15-10). (9) A commercial motor vehicle's propulsion engine may not run more than ten minutes while parked, unattended or stopped other than for traffic or maintenance, unless it provides auxiliary service other than heating or air conditioning (§ 15-6.I). (10) A vehicle horn or other audible signal device may be sounded only as a permitted emergency warning signal (§ 15-6.C). (11) For the § 15-6 acts, when the source of the sound is not visible, the measurement is taken from the exterior wall of the building, structure or other enclosure in which it is located (§ 15-6.B). (12) Table I's residential rows list no 1,000 Hz octave band, while the other two groups do. (13) Live entertainment, dance halls and site-plan projects can carry their own conditions under the Zoning Ordinance, enforced by a special zoning enforcement group (County noise page). (14) The County's code page warns that not all chapters are current; this chapter's PDF is headed "Code Updated July 2026".

Document it before you report it

Arlington County's limits are measured numbers, so a reading is direct evidence of how loud it really is. Take a quick reading with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser and records nothing — and check how loud your block is on the Arlington County noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.