Noise ordinances › Cary, NC

Cary noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 9, 2026

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Quiet hours in Cary

Cary sets no single quiet-hours period. The 60 dB(A) limit on sound affecting an occupied residential structure or unit has no time band and applies at every hour (22-107). Amplified sound has the clock: it is a violation at 60 dB(A) or greater from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and at 50 dB(A) or greater from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., affecting occupied residential structures or units (22-109(4)). Places of public entertainment (restaurants, taverns and bars, coffeehouses and private clubs are named) have three bands: 65 dB(A) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 55 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and 40 dB(A) from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. (22-109(1)). Personal amplifiers on streets and sidewalks or in public parks: 60 dB(A) at 50 feet or more from the speaker from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 50 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. (22-109(3)). The other hours come from the exceptions in 22-105, which take an activity out of the noise rules only inside set hours: lawn mowers, landscaping equipment and agricultural equipment from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with all the manufacturer's standard mufflers and noise-reducing equipment in use (22-105(10)); construction work and construction machinery from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and on holidays observed by the state, with no Sunday window (22-105(16)); refuse collection by front-end loader or other truck from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday (22-105(15)); the ordinary business activities of garages or service stations from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (22-105(17)); unamplified sound from recreational activities at public or private recreational, civic or community clubs and religious institutions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (22-105(14)); typical and routine work to ready a golf course for play from 6 a.m. in April through September and from 7 a.m. in October through March (22-105(10)); and maintenance of emergency equipment such as generators on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at no more than 80 dB(A) (22-105(1)). Outside those hours the code does not ban the activity by name: it loses its exemption and has to meet the general rules, including the 60 dB(A) limit (22-102, 22-107). Barking has its own test with no clock: a sound made by cats or dogs for more than 15 minutes during any 30-minute period is deemed an annoying sound (6-71(a)(8)).

Decibel limits

Yes. General limit (22-107): it is unlawful to create or cause a sound that exceeds 60 dB(A) affecting any occupied residential structure or unit other than the unit occupied by the person creating the sound, at any hour, except as the exceptions in 22-105 or the amplified sound rules in 22-109 provide. Amplified sound (22-109), unless a Town permit allows more: (1) places of public entertainment, no more than 65 dB(A) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 55 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and 40 dB(A) from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m., affecting occupied residential structures or units; (2) amplification for advertising or to attract customers, no more than 60 dB(A) at or on the boundary of the edge of pavement of any public right-of-way, and no sounds that are unreasonably loud and disturbing; (3) personal use on the public right-of-way, including streets or sidewalks, or in the public parks, no more than 60 dB(A) at any point 50 feet or more from the speaker from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 50 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.; (4) all other amplified sound, a violation at 60 dB(A) or greater from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and at 50 dB(A) or greater from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., affecting occupied residential structures or units. Permit ceiling (22-110(d)): no permit may allow sounds registering more than 70 dB(A) at any point on or within the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property. Motor vehicles used for business or political purposes that use sound-making or sound-amplification equipment in the normal course of business are outside the 30-foot audibility rule so long as the equipment does not register more than 60 dB(A) at or on the edge of the pavement (22-108(2)). Maintenance of emergency equipment is exempt only if the sounds created do not exceed 80 dB(A) (22-105(1)). Measurement (22-104): the A-weighting scale on a sound level meter of standard design and quality with ANSI characteristics; taken at or within the nearest residential property line occupied by the complainant, unless otherwise stated; for multifamily structures such as apartments and condominiums, or where boundary lines cannot readily be determined or do not exist, from any point abutting the exterior of the complainant's residential unit, or from any point inside the unit if an exterior measurement is impractical or the noise comes from an adjoining unit. The reading is averaged over one minute, and it is a violation for the average to exceed the prescribed level or for any sound to exceed it by three or more decibels at any time during that minute. Where the weighting is not indicated, A-weighting applies (22-103). Rules with no meter: any unreasonably loud, disturbing noise that frightens, annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of citizens, or causes damage to property or business (22-102); the listed prohibited sounds, such as horns, exhausts without an effective muffler and the shouting of vendors (22-106); operating a motor vehicle so as to create unreasonably loud and disturbing noises, and audio from within a motor vehicle that is plainly audible 30 feet away (22-108). The Division does not define plainly audible.

What the ordinance actually says

§ 22-102: "Subject to the provisions of sections 22-104 through 22-112, it shall be unlawful for any person to create or assist in creating any unreasonably loud, disturbing noise in the town which does frighten, annoy, disturb, injure, or endanger the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of citizens within the Town of Cary or causes damage to property or business within the Town of Cary."

§ 22-107: "Except as provided in sections 22-105 (exceptions) or 22-109 (relating to amplified noise), it shall be unlawful for anyone to create or cause a sound that exceeds 60 dB(A) affecting any occupied residential structure or unit other than the unit occupied by the person creating the sound."

§ 22-104: "All measurements shall be taken at or within the nearest residential property line occupied by the complainant, unless otherwise stated."

§ 22-104: "It shall be a violation of this ordinance for the averaged sound measurement to exceed the prescribed dB(A), or for any sound or noise to exceed the prescribed dB(A) level by three or more decibels at any time during the measurement period."

§ 22-109(4): "Other Amplified Sounds. As to sounds other than those listed in subsections (1)-(3) of this section, to operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds registering 60 dB(A) or greater affecting occupied residential structures or units between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., or 50 dB(A) or greater between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m."

§ 22-109(1): "Places of public entertainment. As to places of public entertainment, including, but not limited to, restaurants, taverns and bars, coffeehouses and private clubs, to operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds registering more than 65 dB(A) affecting occupied residential structures or units between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., or 55 dB(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., or 40 dB(A) between 2:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m."

§ 22-108(2): "By playing any radio, tape player, compact disc player or other sound-making device or instrument from within the motor vehicle so that the sound is plainly audible 30 feet away from the vehicle."

§ 22-105(16): "Construction Work. Performing construction work or operating construction machinery Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. or between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and holidays which are observed by the state."

§ 22-105(10): "Lawn Mowers and Landscaping Equipment. Lawn mowers, landscaping equipment, and agricultural equipment used between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday and between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays when operated with all the manufacturer's standard mufflers and noise-reducing equipment in use and in proper operating condition."

§ 22-112(a): "Civil penalty. Violation of this Article IV, Division 2 shall subject the offender(s) to a civil penalty in the amount of $100.00."

§ 22-112(c): "Criminal penalty. In addition to, or in lieu of, such civil penalties or other remedies, violation of this Article IV, Division 2 shall constitute a misdemeanor."

§ 6-71(a)(8): "Any such sound made by cats or dogs which is made for more than fifteen (15) minutes during any thirty (30) minute period shall be deemed to be an annoying sound."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Town of Cary Code of Ordinances, Chapter 22 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions), Article IV (Offenses Involving Public Peace and Order), Division 2 (Noise), Secs. 22-102 to 22-112: 22-102 Statement of purpose and intent; loud, disturbing noises prohibited, generally; 22-103 Definitions; 22-104 Noise measurement; 22-105 Exceptions; 22-106 Prohibited sounds; 22-107 Sounds impacting residential life; 22-108 Motor vehicles; 22-109 Amplified sound; 22-110 Permits; 22-111 Responsible party; 22-112 Enforcement and penalties. Every section's history line cites Ord. No. 2013-Code-05, 10-10-2013; 22-104 and 22-105 add Ord. No. 2015-Code-004, 7-9-2015, and 22-112 adds Ord. No. 2022-Code-04, 9-22-2022. The Division's state law reference is G.S. 160A-184 (authority to regulate noise). Related sections outside the Division: Sec. 6-71 Nuisance animals in Chapter 6 (Animals), last history entry Ord. No. 2012-Code-04, 8-23-2012; Sec. 1-9 General penalty; and Land Development Ordinance 14.2 Nuisance and Hazard Control Standards. Text read in American Legal Publishing's code library, which hosts the Town's code, version 2025 S-92_S-62 (current); its overview page says the Code of Ordinances is current through local ordinance 2024-Code-04, passed and effective 12-12-2024. Read on 2026-11-09.). Verified against the live code on 2026-11-09. 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 Cary

For noise in progress, call the Cary Police Department's non-emergency line, (919) 469-4012. The Police FAQ says to call that number for nonemergency situations such as frauds, loud music or parking complaints; the Town's Calling 911 page lists loud music among the calls for the non-emergency line; and the Planning Department FAQ says the Town's noise ordinance is regulated by the Police Department and gives the same number for alerting the Town to a potential noise violation. Barking is handled separately: the Calling 911 page says not to call the non-emergency line for barking dog complaints and points to the noise complaint form on the Animal Services page. The Animal Services office, staffed by Police Department officers, is at (919) 319-4517, Sunday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and its pages say the process starts with its Annoying Animal Sounds form (the Pet Laws and Complaints page calls it the Animal Noise form). Under Sec. 6-71(f), a detailed written and signed complaint brings a written notice to the owner or possessor of the premises where the animal is kept; if the violation is not cured, or a second complaint about the same animal is made within any six-month period, an order to abate within no more than seven days; if the order is not obeyed, an investigation and possibly a civil citation of $200; after that the complainant can go to the magistrate and file a summons. Penalties for other noise (22-112): a civil penalty of $100, rising within any one-year period to $250 for a second offense, $500 for a third, $750 for a fourth and $1,000 for a fifth and any later one; a penalty is due within 72 hours of issue; the amount can be appealed to the Town Manager or designee within 30 calendar days of issuance; and, in addition to or in place of the civil penalty, a violation is a misdemeanor (22-112(c)). The Town's general penalty section sets a fine of not more than $500 on conviction unless a law or ordinance provides otherwise (1-9(c)). A police officer, an animal control officer or another authorized employee may issue the citation (22-112(a)(2)). Where the pages and the code differ, the code controls: the Police FAQ points to Sections 22-102 through 22-111 for barking dogs and other noise, but the Division runs to 22-112 and barking is in Sec. 6-71. Sources: https://www.carync.gov/services-publications/police/faq-5367, https://www.carync.gov/services-publications/911/calling-911, https://www.carync.gov/connect-engage/town-departments-offices/planning-department/faq, https://www.carync.gov/services-publications/police/animal-services, https://www.carync.gov/services-publications/police/animal-services/pet-laws-and-complaints and https://www.carync.gov/services-publications/housing/affordable-housing-initiative/top-seven-standards.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Cary. 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) One number all day: the 60 dB(A) limit in 22-107 has no day and night bands. The lower night figures are all for amplified sound: 50 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., and for places of public entertainment 55 dB(A) from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and 40 dB(A) from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. (22-109). (2) For amplified sound the night runs to 9 a.m., not 7 a.m. (22-109). (3) Readings are taken at or within the complainant's own residential property line, averaged over one minute, and a single peak of three or more decibels over the limit during that minute is a violation by itself (22-104). An occupied residential structure includes one that reasonably appears to be occupied for residential use, and nobody has to be inside when the noise is made (22-103). (4) Construction has no Sunday window. The exemption covers 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and state-observed holidays (22-105(16)); at other times construction is not banned by name but must meet the general rules. Construction is defined to include clearing of land, earth moving, blasting, landscaping, and mixing or pouring concrete (22-103), and for construction noise the violator can be the individual doing the activity, their employer, the general contractor for the site or the owner of the property (22-111(c)). (5) Lawn equipment starts at 7 a.m. on weekdays but 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and stops at 9 p.m. every day (22-105(10)). Golf courses may start routine mowing, blowing and raking at 6 a.m. from April through September; that does not include chainsaws, chippers, shredders or equipment used on a sporadic, irregular basis (22-105(10)). (6) Every exemption in 22-105 falls away if the act produces "a risk of serious and unnecessary bodily harm". The list also covers outdoor athletic events scheduled by the Town, by educational, religious or other institutions, or by organized sports leagues; safety signals; religious bells or chimes; authorized emergency vehicles; parades, lawful picketing and other protected or permitted public demonstrations lasting no longer than two hours during any 24-hour period; events sponsored or sanctioned by the Town; noisemakers on holidays and fireworks on holidays or under a pyrotechnics permit; aircraft, but not scale model aircraft; marching band practice and performances; railroads; and the normal operations of the town government, including its contractors. (7) Vehicles (22-108): audio plainly audible 30 feet from the vehicle is a violation with no meter. Motor vehicle is defined to exclude trains and emergency response vehicles (22-103). (8) Permits for extra amplification (22-110): apply in writing to the police department at least 15 working days ahead; once tentatively approved, the applicant must mail or deliver notice of the date and hours to the occupants of each property within a 1,000-foot radius at least 72 hours before the event and file an affidavit that this was done; no more than 20 hours of excess amplification a year at a place of public entertainment, or 10 hours at any other location; and never more than 70 dB(A) at the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property. An applicant who believes a denial is illegal under state or federal law can ask the town manager for an exceptional permit. The Town's Top Seven Standards page says a permit is needed "at least 15 days in advance"; the code says 15 working days, and the code controls. (9) Owners and managers answer for the noise: a person who owns, manages or operates any residence, business or location at which the noise is generated is deemed to create or assist in creating it (22-111(a)). For a vehicle the violator is the operator and, if the vehicle is used for commercial purposes, the operator's employer or the person who possesses or controls the vehicle (22-111(b)). (10) Civil penalties step up only for violations within the same one-year period; once the year has run from the first violation, the next one counts as a first (22-112(a)(1)). On appeal the Town Manager or designee may weigh the gravity of the violation, any action taken to correct it, the cost of that action and any previous violations (22-112(a)(3)). State law makes violating a town ordinance a Class 3 misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $500, and of not more than $50 unless the ordinance expressly states a higher maximum (G.S. 14-4(a)); the Town's general penalty section states $500 (1-9(c)). (11) Barking is not enforced through the police non-emergency line. It goes to Animal Services on a written, signed complaint, with the 15 minutes in 30 test for cats and dogs, and "The normal clucking of chickens, kept in accordance with provisions of the Land Development Ordinance, shall not constitute an annoying sound" (6-71(a)(8), (f)). (12) Businesses have a second standard with no number: the Land Development Ordinance's performance standards for industrial, research and other business activities say "Noise shall be muffled so as not to become objectionable at or beyond the property line due to intermittent beat frequency, shrillness, or intensity" (LDO 14.2.3(B)). (13) Other sounds prohibited by name in 22-106 include horns used other than as a warning or danger signal, any gong, bell or siren on a motor vehicle, compressed air devices that are not effectively muffled, and firecrackers or other pyrotechnics without a permit; the list is not exclusive. (14) The Town's Top Seven Standards page, written for housing, restates the hours for lawnmowers and other domestic, motorized equipment and tells residents to keep amplification under 60 decibels from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and under 50 decibels from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.; it matches 22-105(10) and 22-109(4), though the code's wording for the equipment is lawn mowers, landscaping equipment and agricultural equipment. The page also says "We measure from anywhere on adjacent residential property"; the code says at or within the nearest residential property line occupied by the complainant (22-104), and the code controls.

Document it before you report it

Cary'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 Cary noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.