Noise ordinances › Chesterfield County, VA

Chesterfield County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 9, 2026

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Quiet hours in Chesterfield County

Sec. 14-27 splits the day at 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. for sound devices such as radios, televisions, music players, musical instruments, loudspeakers and amplifiers. Between 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. a device may not be plainly audible inside another person's dwelling unit, house or apartment, or off the property and 50 or more feet from the device (Sec. 14-27(a)(1)). Between 7:01 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. the test is looser: plainly audible inside another person's home when its doors and windows are closed, or off the property and 300 or more feet from the device (Sec. 14-27(a)(2)). Noise from a gathering of ten or more people may not be plainly audible inside another person's home, or off the property and at 50 or more feet, between 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Sec. 14-27(b)). In residential areas, plainly audible noise from the loading or unloading of refuse, waste or recycling collection vehicles is banned between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. (Sec. 14-27(f)), and plainly audible noise from lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree maintenance or removal and other landscaping, lawn or timbering activities is banned between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Sec. 14-27(g)). Three rules have no clock: animal noise (Sec. 14-27(c)), loudspeakers on the outside of businesses (Sec. 14-27(d)) and sound systems in motor vehicles (Sec. 14-27(e)). Sec. 14-27 does not mention construction noise.

Decibel limits — or rather, the lack of them

Sec. 14-27 sets no decibel limit. Every test in it is whether sound is plainly audible, a term the section does not define: inside another person's home, 50 feet away, 300 feet away, on a public sidewalk or street, or, for refuse trucks and lawn work at night, in residential areas with no distance stated. The only decibel figures found are in the County's Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 19.2, effective January 1, 2026), as standards for particular uses, not general limits. Outdoor amplified music is limited to 65 decibels measured at the property boundary for agritourism (Sec. 19.2-30-2), amphitheaters (Sec. 19.2-30-5) and farm breweries, distilleries and wineries (Sec. 19.2-30-12), and each of those sections also requires compliance with Sec. 14-27. Event centers in the A District may not exceed 65 dBA at the property line (Sec. 19.2-30-25). Public address systems allowed as a restricted accessory use may not exceed 65 decibels as measured from an adjoining residential property line (Sec. 19.2-32-35). An electric power wind energy system in the A, RC, SR and SC districts may not exceed 60 decibels measured at the closest property line, except during short-term events such as utility outages or severe wind storms (Sec. 19.2-32-16). Only the event center figure names a weighting (dBA), and none of these sections sets a time of day for its limit. Devices "used or played at a noise level approved in an applicable zoning condition" are excluded from the device rule in Sec. 14-27(a).

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 14-27(a): "To use, operate or play, or allow anyone to use, operate or play, any radio, phonograph, television, record, compact disc or tape player, musical instrument, loudspeaker, sound amplifier or other machine or device capable of producing or reproducing sound in such a manner or with such volume or duration that it is plainly audible as follows:"

Sec. 14-27(a)(1): "Between 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.:" ... "Inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person; or" ... "Off the property on which the device is located and at 50 or more feet from the device; or"

Sec. 14-27(a)(2): "Between 7:01 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.:" ... "Inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person when the doors and windows of the dwelling unit, house or apartment are closed; or" ... "Off the property on which the device is located and at 300 or more feet from the device."

Sec. 14-27(b): "To allow or create noise between the hours of 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is plainly audible either inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another person or off the property on which the noise is occurring and at 50 or more feet when the noise is generated from a gathering of ten or more people."

Sec. 14-27(c): "To allow any animal or bird except farm animals in agricultural districts to create noise such that it is plainly audible at least once a minute for ten consecutive minutes (i) inside the confines of the dwelling unit, house or apartment of another; or (ii) at 50 or more feet from the animal or bird."

Sec. 14-27(e): "To play or permit the playing of any radio, stereo, tape player, compact disc player, loudspeaker or other electronic device or mechanical equipment used for the amplification of sound, which is located within a motor vehicle and which is plainly audible from outside the motor vehicle at a distance of 50 feet or more from the vehicle."

Sec. 14-27(f): "To allow or create plainly audible noise in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. in connection with the loading or unloading of refuse, waste or recycling collection vehicles."

Sec. 14-27(g): "To allow or create plainly audible noise in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in connection with lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree maintenance or removal and other landscaping, lawn or timbering activities."

Sec. 14-27(h): "Violations of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00."

Sec. 14-27, closing paragraph: "No person shall be charged with a violation of this section unless (i) a complainant appears before a magistrate and alleges the specific violation complained of, and that the complainant requested or made a reasonable attempt to request abatement of the violation; or (ii) a violation is committed in the presence of a police officer."

Zoning Ordinance Sec. 19.2-32-35 B: "Public address systems shall not exceed 65 decibels as measured from an adjoining residential property line."

Quoted verbatim from the official text (Chesterfield County Code Section 14-27 (Loud noises prohibited), in Chapter 14 (Offenses, Miscellaneous), with use standards in the Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 19.2. Code of the County of Chesterfield, Virginia, on Municode, "Codified through Ordinances of March 11, 2026(1). (Supp. No. 80)", version dated Aug 26, 2026: Sec. 14-27 (Code 1978, § 15.1-25; Ord. of 9-23-2009(2), § 1; Ord. of 12-16-20(3), § 1). The County posted notice of a public hearing on December 16, 2020 to consider amendments to County Code Section 14-27 regarding prohibited loud noises. None of the ordinances Municode lists as adopted but not yet codified (dated 5/15/24 to 8/26/26) names Sec. 14-27. Zoning: Chapter 19.2, Chesterfield County Zoning Ordinance Modernization (ZOMod), on enCodePlus (ZO-2025-001, adopted 09/17/2025, effective 01/01/2026), Secs. 19.2-30-2, 19.2-30-5, 19.2-30-12, 19.2-30-25, 19.2-32-16 and 19.2-32-35. Text read 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 Chesterfield County

Call Chesterfield County Police at the non-emergency number, 804-748-1251, for a noise complaint, and 911 for an emergency. The County's Emergency Communications Center page says "For all non-emergency situations, please call 804-748-1251." and lists noise complaints among its examples of non-emergency calls. The Police Department's page says requests for immediate police response must be made by phone, at 911 in an emergency or 804-748-1251 for a non-emergency. It matters that an officer hears the noise. Under Sec. 14-27 no person may be charged unless a violation is committed in the presence of a police officer, or a complainant appears before a magistrate, alleges the specific violation, and says that he or she requested, or made a reasonable attempt to request, that it stop. So a neighbor who goes to a magistrate should first ask the person to stop, or reasonably try to, and keep a note of when. Animal noise is part of the same section (Sec. 14-27(c)). The County's Animal Control page says to call 804-748-1251 and ask to speak with an Animal Services officer for the problems it lists, which do not include barking, and that code concerns about animals can be submitted through the Enterprise Land Management (ELM) citizen access portal. Penalty (Sec. 14-27(h)): a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500. A complaint about a zoning standard, such as a venue's 65 decibel limit on outdoor amplified music, goes to zoning code compliance through the ELM portal. Sources: https://www.chesterfield.gov/3960/Contact-ECC---911, https://www.chesterfield.gov/5915/Report-or-Request-Police-Information, https://www.chesterfield.gov/5980/Animal-Control-Reporting-and-Enforcement and https://www.chesterfield.gov/998/Ordinances-Policies-and-Regulations.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Chesterfield 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) Where it applies: Sec. 14-27 is County law and names no town or part of the county. The section has no sentence saying where it applies, and no County page read says so either. The map linked from this page is Richmond's, because Chesterfield County's own places are not in the map data; Richmond has its own sound control ordinance (see the Richmond page), which this page does not cover. (2) No decibels and no definition: the section never gives a decibel number and does not define plainly audible. (3) The clock is written to the minute: the night period is 11:01 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and the day period is 7:01 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Sec. 14-27(a), (b)). (4) Day and night use different tests for the same device. At night it is enough that the sound is plainly audible inside a neighbor's home or 50 feet away off the property; by day the neighbor's doors and windows must be closed, or the listener must be 300 or more feet from the device. (5) Gatherings: the rule covers noise from a gathering of ten or more people, and only between 11:01 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.; the section has no separate rule for voices from smaller groups. (6) Charging rule: unless a police officer witnesses the violation, a charge needs a complainant who goes before a magistrate and says he or she asked, or reasonably tried to ask, for the noise to stop (closing paragraph of Sec. 14-27). (7) Excluded from the device rule (Sec. 14-27(a)): devices permitted to be used at public parks or recreation fields, sporting events, school-sponsored activities on school grounds, duly authorized parades, public functions or commemorative events; devices used or played at a noise level approved in an applicable zoning condition; and devices used to alert persons to the existence of an emergency. (8) Animals: the test is noise plainly audible at least once a minute for ten consecutive minutes, inside another person's home or 50 or more feet from the animal or bird; farm animals in agricultural districts are excepted (Sec. 14-27(c)). (9) Businesses: a loudspeaker or other sound device on the outside of a store, shop, business establishment, warehouse or commercial building may not be plainly audible on any public sidewalk or street, unless it is used only intermittently for announcing or paging an individual, signals a telephone, smoke, fire, a burglary or the start or end of work or school, or is operated in accordance with conditions of zoning (Sec. 14-27(d)). (10) Vehicles: the 50-foot rule for sound systems in motor vehicles does not apply to sirens, loudspeakers and emergency communications radios in public safety vehicles, or to motor vehicle alarms or other security devices (Sec. 14-27(e)). The code cross-references Sec. 13-15, unnecessary noise in operation of motor vehicles, which was not read for this page. (11) Trash trucks may start two hours before lawn crews: the refuse rule ends at 5:00 a.m. and the lawn and landscaping rule at 7:00 a.m., and both apply only in residential areas (Sec. 14-27(f), (g)). (12) The fine has a floor: not less than $100 and not more than $500 (Sec. 14-27(h)). (13) History: the section's history note cites Code 1978, § 15.1-25 and ordinances of 9-23-2009 and 12-16-20; the County's notice for the December 16, 2020 hearing does not describe the changes. The code's state law reference still cites Code of Virginia §§ 15.2-917 and 15.2-919, and the state's site shows § 15.2-919 as repealed by Acts 2022, c. 490. (14) Venues: the Zoning Ordinance in effect since January 1, 2026 holds outdoor amplified music at agritourism sites, amphitheaters and farm breweries, distilleries and wineries to 65 decibels at the property boundary, in addition to Sec. 14-27.

Document it before you report it

Chesterfield County enforces mostly by audibility, but a log of measured levels still makes a complaint concrete and credible. Take a quick reading with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser and records nothing — and see the nearest city we map, on the Richmond noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.