Noise ordinances › Gwinnett County, GA

Gwinnett County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

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 Gwinnett County acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Quiet hours in Gwinnett County

Gwinnett County has no single quiet-hours rule. Its code shortens the distance sound may carry at night, and the night hours depend on the source. For homes, night runs from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday: this covers buildings in single-family and multi-family residential zoning districts, outdoor places at a residential use, and any other sound received on residential land (Sec. 38-47(2)c, (2)d, (3)c; Sec. 38-48). For buildings in nonresidential and mixed-use districts, outdoor places at nonresidential uses such as a restaurant deck, performance venues, and other sound received on mixed-use or nonresidential land, night runs from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11:59 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday (Sec. 38-47(2)a, (2)b, (3)a, (3)b; Sec. 38-48). Sound from a building in a mixed-use district may not be plainly audible at all inside a single-family detached sealed dwelling in a residential area, or in a common area of a multifamily dwelling in a residential area, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (Sec. 38-47(2)b.2). Amplified sound from a business in its normal operations moves to the shorter night distance from 11 p.m. through 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 12 midnight through 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday (Sec. 38-47(7)). Motorized landscape devices, such as leaf blowers, lawn mowers, weed eaters and chain saws, may not be used in or within 300 feet of a residential area from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Sec. 38-47(5)). Construction noise is banned on Sundays; on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; on Saturdays between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.; and Monday through Friday between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., unless the Director of Planning and Development or a designee grants a permit (Sec. 38-47(6)b, c). The 300-foot rule for human-produced sounds such as yelling and the 100-foot muffler rule have no clock (Sec. 38-47(1), (4)). Consumer fireworks are outside the noise rules only from 10 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. on January 1, the last Saturday and Sunday in May, July 3, July 4, the first Monday in September and December 31, and from 12 a.m. through 1 a.m. on January 1 (Sec. 38-46(b)(6)).

Decibel limits — or rather, the lack of them

None in the noise rules. Article III (Secs. 38-44 to 38-54) contains no decibel figure, and the measuring tool is the human ear: "Measurement standards shall be the auditory senses" (Sec. 38-45). This page read Chapters 1, 10 and 38 of the County Code, not the Unified Development Code or the other chapters. Sound is unlawful when it is plainly audible at or beyond a set distance. Plainly audible means it can be heard by a person of ordinary sensibilities with unaided hearing; words need not be discernible, and low frequency sound reverberations are included (Sec. 38-45). Day and night distances: buildings in single-family residential districts, and outdoor places at a residential use, 300 feet or more by day and 50 feet or more at night (outdoors, measured from the boundary of the property the sound comes from) (Sec. 38-47(2)c, (3)c); buildings in multi-family residential districts, 25 feet or more by day and 10 feet or more at night, beyond the adjoining property line or boundary (Sec. 38-47(2)d); buildings in nonresidential districts, 500 feet and 200 feet (Sec. 38-47(2)a); buildings in mixed-use districts, 300 feet and 150 feet (Sec. 38-47(2)b); outdoor places at a nonresidential use where sound is not the principal use, 300 feet and 100 feet, and outdoor places where sound is the primary lawful use, 500 feet and 200 feet, both from the property line (Sec. 38-47(3)a, b). Amplified business sound heard within a residential area: more than 300 feet by day and more than 100 feet at night beyond the boundary of the property (Sec. 38-47(7)). Daytime construction: 300 feet or more beyond the property boundary (Sec. 38-47(6)a). Human-produced sounds: 300 feet or more at any hour (Sec. 38-47(4)). A motor vehicle without a working muffler: 100 feet or more (Sec. 38-47(1)). Any other source is judged on the land that receives the sound: residential 300 and 50 feet, mixed-use 300 and 150 feet, nonresidential 500 and 200 feet (Sec. 38-48). Not covered (Sec. 38-46(b)): government employees on official duty; authorized events at a publicly owned stadium, ballpark, arena or civic center; places of worship during a religious activity; events of the Gwinnett County School District or of a state-accredited public or private school, college or university on its own property; fireworks and pyrotechnic displays permitted by the County; domestic animals (controlled by Sec. 10-7); aircraft and airport operations at the Gwinnett County Airport; sound from a device inside a motor vehicle on a street or highway (controlled by O.C.G.A. § 40-6-14); railroad operations; emergency warning sounds; and lawfully operating businesses in the normal course of operations, except as Sec. 38-47(7) provides. The animal noise rule has no decibel figure either: officers enforcing it need not use a sound level meter (Sec. 10-7(b)(2)).

What the ordinance actually says

§ 38-46(a): "This chapter shall apply to the control of all sound and noise originating within unincorporated Gwinnett County."

§ 38-45: "Plainly audible shall mean any sound produced by a source, which can be heard by any person of ordinary sensibilities using his or her unaided hearing faculties. Measurement standards shall be the auditory senses. Words or phrases need not be discernible and low frequency sound reverberations are included."

§ 38-47(2)c: "Making, causing, allowing, or permitting any sound from a source within his ownership or control that projects, emits or transmits in any building in a residential zoning district so that the sound is plainly audible to any person at the times and distances set forth in the table below:"

§ 38-47(3)c: "Making, causing, allowing, or permitting any sound, including impulsive sound, from a source within such person's ownership or control that projects, emits or transmits in any privately-owned outdoor place at a residential use, so that the sound is plainly audible to any person at the times and distances set forth in the table below as measured from the property line or boundary of property from which the sound emanates:"

§ 38-47(4): "It is unlawful for any person or persons to make human-produced sounds on the public streets or sidewalks or on private property so as to create, or cause to be created, any noises or sounds which are plainly audible at a distance of 300 feet or more from the place, building, structure, or in the case of real property, beyond the property limits, in which the person is located, whichever is farthest."

§ 38-47(5): "It is unlawful for any person to use or operate any noise-generating, motorized landscape maintenance devices within any residential area or within 300 feet of any residential area from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the following morning."

§ 38-47(6)b: "It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any construction noise on Sunday; on the following federally-recognized holidays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day; on Saturday between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.; and Monday through Friday between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m."

§ 38-48: "No person shall operate or cause to be operated a source of sound in a manner so as to create a sound that is plainly audible to a person on the property of a receiving land use and that violates the time or distance requirements set forth in the following table."

§ 38-52(e): "The provisions of this article may be enforced by the Gwinnett County Police Department and/or the Department of Planning and Development."

§ 38-53(a): "Any person found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this article shall be prosecuted and upon conviction thereof be punished as provided in Section 1-11 of this code. Fines shall be as provided in subsection B. below."

§ 38-53(b): "The first violation of any provision of this chapter shall result in a written warning. The second violation of any provision of this chapter within twelve (12) months after the first violation where a written warning was issued is punishable by a fine in the amount of $250.00. The third violation of any provision of this chapter within twelve (12) months after the first violation where a written warning was issued is punishable by a fine in the amount of $500.00. Subsequent violations of this chapter issued within twelve (12) months of a written warning are punishable by a fine up to a $1000.00 for each violation."

§ 1-11(c): "Any person convicted of a violations of this Code shall be punished by the proper court by the imposition of a fine of not less than $100.00 nor more than $1,000.00, or imprisonment for not more than 60 days, or both."

§ 10-7(b): "It shall be a violation of this chapter for an owner or an individual in possession of the property upon which the animal or animals are located at the time of the offense to allow the animal or animals to make any vocalizations which are plainly audible to a person of ordinary hearing ability not located on the same property as the animal or animals making such vocalizations for more than 15 minutes without interruption or more than 30 minutes if the vocalization is intermittent."

§ 1-12: "The provisions of this Code, unless otherwise clearly specified, shall apply only to the unincorporated areas of the county."

Quoted verbatim from the official text (Gwinnett County Code Chapter 38 Article III (Noise Control), with Chapter 10 Sec. 10-7, Chapter 1 Secs. 1-11 and 1-12, and Georgia's vehicle sound law. Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances on Municode, "Codified through Ordinance No. (GCID 2025-0538) enacted June 17, 2025 (Supp. No. 9)", version dated Mar 27, 2026: Chapter 38 (Environment and Natural Resources), Article III (Noise Control), Secs. 38-44 to 38-54 (Ord. No. GCID 2021-0611, Exh. A, adopted May 18, 2021, which repealed the former Article III and replaced it; the ordinance sets its effective date as June 1, 2021); Chapter 10 (Animals), Sec. 10-7 (Ord. No. AW-2020(GCID: 2020-1254), Exh. B, 12-15-2020); Chapter 1 (General Provisions), Sec. 1-11 General penalty (Code 1978, § 10-1008; Code 1994, § 1-11; Ord. of 9-20-2005(1)) and Sec. 1-12 Applicability of Code (Code 1978, § 10-1009; Code 1994, § 1-12). Municode's list of adopted ordinances not yet codified shows none titled as a noise change. State law: Georgia Rules and Regulations Chapter 570-29 (Sound Limits From Within Motor Vehicles), and O.C.G.A. § 40-6-14 as quoted in the recitals of the County's 2021 ordinance. Text read 2026-11-04.). Verified against the live code on 2026-11-04. 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 Gwinnett County

For a loud party, music or other noise happening now in unincorporated Gwinnett County, call the Police non-emergency line, 770.513.5700, which the Police Department's 911 page lists for loud noise complaints, and call 911 for an emergency. Police and the Department of Planning and Development can both enforce the noise rules (Sec. 38-52(e)). Code Enforcement says its officers enforce the County's noise standards and that it works only in unincorporated Gwinnett County: main 770.513.5020, hotline 770.513.5004, CodeEnforcement@GwinnettCounty.com, or report at GwinnettZIP.com (the portal's complaint list names land development, building construction, zoning use and property maintenance, not noise). A first violation brings a written warning; a second within 12 months of that warning is a $250 fine, a third $500, and later violations within 12 months up to $1,000 each (Sec. 38-53(b)). Each occurrence, and each day a violation continues, is a separate offense (Sec. 38-52(b), (c)), and the County can also seek an injunction (Sec. 38-52(d)). On conviction, Sec. 38-53(a) applies the County's general penalty, Sec. 1-11, but keeps fines to the schedule in Sec. 38-53(b). Sec. 1-11(c) itself allows a fine of $100 to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 60 days, or both. The Code Enforcement page says a citation goes to Recorders Court. For a barking dog, the Police page lists non-violent animal complaints under the same 770.513.5700 line, and Animal Welfare and Enforcement is at 770.339.3200, though its ordinance page does not mention barking. Under Sec. 10-7(b) the complainant must give the address, and the County first sends a written notice and allows 10 days. After that a citation takes notarized statements: the original complainant's, with sufficient evidence such as a neighbor's notarized statement or a video or similar recording, or those of two complainants at different addresses. The fine can reach $1,000 on conviction. Inside a city, County Code Enforcement does not act: contact that city. Sources: https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/police/911-info, https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/planning-development/services/code-enforcement, https://aca-prod.accela.com/GWINNETT/Welcome.aspx?TabName=Enforce&module=Enforce and https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/community-services/animal-welfare/ordinances-citations-complaints.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Gwinnett 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: Article III covers sound originating in unincorporated Gwinnett County (Sec. 38-46(a)), which matches the County Code's general rule that it applies only to the unincorporated areas unless it clearly says otherwise (Sec. 1-12). County Code Enforcement says it does not address code violations within city limits and tells people in a city to contact that city. The map linked from this page is Atlanta's, because the county's own places are not in the map data; Atlanta has its own noise ordinance (see the Atlanta page), which this page does not cover. (2) The night distances are short. At a house in a residential district, sound any person can plainly hear 50 feet away after 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, is a violation, and no meter reading is involved. In a multi-family building the night distance is 10 feet, and the boundary can be the interior and exterior walls of a unit or common area (Secs. 38-45, 38-47(2)d). (3) The first violation is only a written warning, and the fines count from it for 12 months (Sec. 38-53(b)). (4) Noise permits: a specific event can get a permit to exceed the limits by applying in writing to Planning and Development at least 20 business days ahead. A permit lasts no more than 72 hours, a premises can be covered for no more than 18 days a calendar year, and a denial can be appealed within 5 business days (Secs. 38-50, 38-51). (5) Construction: a permit for work outside the allowed hours lasts up to 14 days, and more than one can be granted. Government road, water, sewer and stormwater projects and utility company projects are exempt from the construction rule (Sec. 38-47(6)c, d). (6) Businesses are exempt in their normal operations (Sec. 38-46(b)(12)), except for amplified sound plainly audible within a residential area past the set distances (Sec. 38-47(7)). (7) Car stereos: sound from a device inside a vehicle on a street or highway is left to state law, O.C.G.A. § 40-6-14, which the recitals of the County's 2021 ordinance quote as covering sound "plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet or more from the motor vehicle". Georgia Rule 570-29-.03 says the check is by ear, by direct line of sight, from 100 or more feet, with bass reverberations included, and the vehicle may be stopped, standing, parked or moving. (8) Barking sits outside the noise article. Sec. 38-46(b)(7) sends domestic animal sound to Sec. 10-7, which sets a time test: plainly audible off the property for more than 15 minutes without interruption, or more than 30 minutes if intermittent. The time limits do not apply to vocalizations warning of someone trespassing, threatening to trespass or unambiguously taunting the animal. A complaint stays active for 30 days after the 10-day period, and then expires if no further complaint is made. A city may adopt Chapter 10 by agreement with the County (Sec. 10-3). (9) Fireworks: impulsive sound in the noise article includes fireworks displays (Sec. 38-45), and the County's 2021 release says "sound from consumer fireworks is regulated generally with other sounds on days and times not preempted by state law". (10) Tampering: no one may remove or disable a noise control device except for maintenance, repair or replacement, or operate a product whose device has been removed or disabled (Sec. 38-49). (11) Copies differ. The County's PDF of the ordinance names a church where Municode's code names places of worship (Sec. 38-46(b)(3)), and that PDF and the County's construction noise permit form letter the subsections, so construction is 38-47(F) there and 38-47(6) on Municode. This page follows Municode, the live code. The code keeps some old references: Sec. 38-46(b)(12) cites "subsection 38-47.G", which is Sec. 38-47(7), and Sec. 38-51(e) cites "Subsection 38-49.C", though the permit criteria are in Sec. 38-50(c).

Document it before you report it

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