Noise ordinances › Pasco County, FL

Pasco County noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: November 9, 2026

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Quiet hours in Pasco County

The noise division has no single quiet period; Sec. 66-97 sets night hours by type of noise. Residential districts: from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, no noise created within a residential district may exceed 55 dBA measured at the nearest adjacent property line, apart from noises the section treats separately (Sec. 66-97(4)). Multifamily dwelling units: in the same hours, no noise may exceed 40 dBA measured within a neighbor's dwelling (Sec. 66-97(4)). Radios, televisions, musical instruments, phonographs, drums, exterior loudspeakers and similar devices: 66 dBA from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 60 dBA from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 55 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., measured from the property line of the noise source; at any hour it is also unlawful to use one so as to cause a noise disturbance that disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighborhood and vicinity (Sec. 66-97(7)). Construction: between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and all day Sunday, no construction activities are permitted that produce noise above 55 dBA measured at the nearest property line of an adjacent residential area; construction equipment that must run 24 hours a day near a residentially zoned area, such as pumps and generators, must be shielded by an acoustical barrier or enclosure from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily unless its unshielded level is under 55 dBA at the closest adjacent residentially zoned property line (Sec. 66-97(2)). Commercial and industrial zones: the daytime limits toward an adjoining residential district run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and during all hours of Sunday, the limit at the closest adjacent residentially zoned property line is 55 dBA (Sec. 66-97(3)). Boats: from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, no craft on water adjoining residential areas may produce more than 55 dBA at the nearest adjacent residential property line, and a construction barge or dredge needs a permit from the county administrator to operate in those hours (Sec. 66-97(5)). Trail bikes and all-terrain vehicles used off the highways: from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., 60 dBA measured at least ten feet from the vehicle (Sec. 66-97(6)). Barking is in the separate animal ordinance: frequent or continued barking, howling or noise by a dog between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., or for periods of ten minutes or more at any time, is a nuisance (Sec. 14-98).

Decibel limits

Yes. The division measures in A-weighted decibels (dBA) on a sound level meter that meets or exceeds the requirements for a type 2 meter under ANSI standard S1.4, and a measurement of noise must be at least five dB above the ambient noise level (Sec. 66-91). Residential districts (Sec. 66-97(4)): 55 dBA at the nearest adjacent property line from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily; air conditioning, heating or ventilating units, 60 dBA at any time at the nearest adjacent property line; multifamily dwelling units, 40 dBA measured within a neighbor's dwelling from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. Radios, televisions, musical instruments, phonographs, drums, exterior loudspeakers and similar devices (Sec. 66-97(7)): 66 dBA from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 60 dBA from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 55 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., measured from the property line of the noise source. Industrial and commercial zones (Sec. 66-97(3), Table 1), measured on the adjacent property line: noise from an industrial district may reach 72 dBA at an adjoining commercial district, with no time limit, and 66 dBA at an adjoining residential district from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; noise from a commercial district may reach 66 dBA and 60 dBA. From 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and during all hours of Sunday, the limit at the closest adjacent residentially zoned property line is 55 dBA. For impulsive noises the Table 1 levels rise by ten dBA from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and must not be exceeded from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. or on Sunday. Construction (Sec. 66-97(2)): 55 dBA at the nearest property line of an adjacent residential area from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and all day Sunday; round-the-clock equipment near a residentially zoned area must be shielded from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. unless it is under 55 dBA unshielded at the closest adjacent residentially zoned property line. Boats (Sec. 66-97(5)): 55 dBA at the nearest adjacent residential property line from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. Parks and off-road vehicles (Sec. 66-97(6)): 60 dBA measured at least ten feet from a mechanical or electrical device in an outdoor public recreation area or park; trail bikes and all-terrain vehicles, 60 dBA measured at least ten feet from the vehicle from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The division gives no daytime decibel figure for other noise created within a residential district, and none for road vehicles; the animal ordinance judges barking by time, not decibels (Sec. 14-98).

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 66-94: "All territory within the legal boundaries of the county, including all incorporated and unincorporated areas, shall be embraced by this article, unless in conflict with or specifically deleted by a municipal ordinance."

Sec. 66-93: "It shall be unlawful, except as expressly permitted in this article, to make, cause or allow the making of any noise or sound within the boundaries of the county which exceed the limited set forth in this article."

Sec. 66-91: "Noise level means the sound pressure level as measured in dBA unless otherwise specified. A measurement of noise must be at least five dB above the ambient noise level."

Sec. 66-97(4): "Except for those noises otherwise specifically provided for within this section, it shall be unlawful to create or to permit to be created any noise within a residential district that exceeds 55 dBA, measured at the nearest adjacent property line during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily."

Sec. 66-97(4): "It shall be unlawful to operate any air conditioning, heating or ventilating unit at any time that produces a noise exceeding 60 dBA measured at the nearest adjacent property line."

Sec. 66-97(4): "For multifamily dwelling units, it shall be unlawful to create or to permit to be created any noise that exceeds 40 dBA measured within a neighbor's dwelling during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily."

Sec. 66-97(7): "In the case of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, exterior loudspeaker, or other device for the production or reproduction of sound, it shall be unlawful to create or permit to be created any noise that exceeds 66 dBA during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., 60 dBA during the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and 55 dBA during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., measured from the property line of the noise source."

Sec. 66-97(7): "It shall also be unlawful to operate or permit the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, exterior loudspeaker, or other device for the production or reproduction of sound in such a manner as to cause noise disturbance so as to disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of the neighborhood and vicinity thereof."

Sec. 66-97(7): "Violations of subsection (7) shall be prosecuted as a misdemeanor in the second degree, pursuant to F.S. § 125.69(1) and section 1-6(c) of the County Code."

Sec. 66-97(2): "No construction activities shall be permitted between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and all day Sunday that produce noise exceeding 55 dBA, measured at the nearest property line of an adjacent residential area."

Sec. 66-97(3): "The maximum permitted noise level emanating from a commercially or industrially zoned district, measured at the closest adjacent residentially zoned property line for the hours between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and during all hours of Sunday shall be 55 dBA."

Sec. 66-97(1): "Motor vehicle noise. The use of straight pipes, altered mufflers or gutted mufflers on a motor vehicle is specifically prohibited under this section."

Sec. 14-98: "Frequent or continued barking, frequent or continued howling, or making frequent or continued sound or noise for periods of ten minutes or more, at any time, with the exception of dogs housed at commercial businesses."

Sec. 1-5: "The board of county commissioners shall not enforce a section of this Code within the boundaries of a municipality unless the municipality passes a resolution requesting such action by majority vote of its governing body and repeals any inconsistent municipal ordinances."

Sec. 1-11: "The maximum penalty for such a civil infraction shall not exceed $500.00 per violation plus all applicable costs or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days or both a fine and imprisonment."

Quoted verbatim from the official text (Pasco County Code Chapter 66 Article IV Division 2 (Noise), Secs. 66-91 to 66-97, with Chapter 14 for animals and Chapter 1 for enforcement and penalties. Code of Ordinances, County of Pasco, Florida on Municode, "(Through Supp. No. 94, Update 1)", version Aug 17, 2026 (current): Chapter 66 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions), Article IV (Offenses Involving Public Peace and Order), Division 2, Noise: Sec. 66-91 Definitions (Code 1970, § 16¾-28; Ord. No. 74-10, § 3, 4-23-74); Sec. 66-92 Findings (Code 1970, § 16¾-26; Ord. No. 74-10, § 1, 4-23-74); Sec. 66-93 Unlawful acts (Code 1970, § 16¾-27; Ord. No. 74-10, § 2, 4-23-74); Sec. 66-94 Areas embraced (Code 1970, § 16¾-34; Ord. No. 74-10, § 9, 4-23-74); Sec. 66-95 Exceptions (Code 1970, § 16¾-30; Ord. No. 74-10, § 5, 4-23-74); Sec. 66-96 Waivers (Code 1970, § 16¾-31; Ord. No. 74-10, § 6, 4-23-74); Sec. 66-97 Specific noises prohibited (Code 1970, § 16¾-29(a)(2) to (f); Ord. No. 74-10, § 4, 4-23-74; Ord. No. 97-10, § 1, 7-29-97). Chapter 14 (Animals), the Pasco County Animal Services Ordinance: Secs. 14-30, 14-32, 14-33 and 14-98 (Ord. No. 16-29, § 3, 10-11-16), and Article III, Keeping of Live Poultry, Secs. 14-150 to 14-153 (Ord. No. 25-45, § 4, 11-12-25). Chapter 1 (General Provisions): Sec. 1-5 Jurisdiction; Sec. 1-6 General penalty; continuing violations (Ord. No. 00-05, § 2, 5-23-00); Sec. 1-11 Enforcement of ordinance violations (Ord. No. 00-05, § 3, 5-23-00; Ord. No. 00-15, § 1, 9-6-00; Ord. No. 00-020, § 1, 12-12-00; Ord. No. 01-013, § 1, 6-19-01). Municode's list of adopted ordinances not yet codified showed 0 ordinances. State law: Florida Statutes 125.69 and 162.21. 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 Pasco County

For noise happening now, call the non-emergency line, 727-847-8102, which the County says is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; the Pasco Sheriff's Office gives the same number for non-emergencies, with option 7. Call 911 only in an emergency: the County's Emergency Services page lists complaining about barking dogs or loud stereos among the things not to call 911 for. Pasco County Public Safety Communications handles requests for law enforcement for all of Pasco County, including all incorporated cities, and provides emergency communications for the Sheriff's Office and the Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Zephyrhills police departments. Sworn law enforcement officers may enforce County ordinance violations, and may do so without a warning (Sec. 1-11). For a code complaint, Code Compliance says to contact Customer Service at 727-847-2411 or file online; its page does not mention noise, so it is not confirmed here that it takes noise complaints. Code Compliance cannot act on an anonymous complaint: you must give your name and address, unless a code officer has reason to believe the violation presents an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare or imminent destruction of habitat or sensitive resources (F.S. 125.69(4)(b) and 162.21(3)(b)). A code enforcement officer must normally give notice and a reasonable time to correct the violation, no more than 30 days, before issuing a citation, but may cite at once for a repeat violation, a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare, or a violation that is irreparable or irreversible (Sec. 1-11). Barking: Animal Services is 813-929-1212, with phone customer service Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; after hours, 727-847-8102, option 7, is for emergencies only, and the emergency criteria listed (a bite by an animal still running loose, a seriously injured stray, an unconfined aggressive animal) do not include barking. Animal control officers and law enforcement officers are both authorized to enforce the animal ordinance (Sec. 14-30). Penalties: violations of the radio, television, musical instrument and loudspeaker rules in Sec. 66-97(7) are prosecuted as a misdemeanor in the second degree under F.S. 125.69(1), which allows a fine not to exceed $500, imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days, or both. The division states no penalty for its other limits, so the code's general rule applies: prosecution under F.S. 125.69 in county court, by code enforcement board procedure or under any adopted code enforcement ordinance, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense (Sec. 1-6). On a county court citation the maximum penalty is $500 per violation plus costs, 60 days in the county jail, or both; a person who does not contest pays the fine to the clerk of the court within 30 calendar days of the citation; a contested violation must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt; and fines follow the County's Uniform Fine Schedule, which the Board of County Commissioners sets by resolution (Sec. 1-11). The current schedule was not read for this page, so no amount per citation is given. Animal nuisance cases are civil infractions, not criminal: judgment may not exceed $500 per count, fines are set in the Uniform Fine Schedule, each citation carries a $5 surcharge, and a court appearance may be required on a third or subsequent citation (Secs. 14-30, 14-32, 14-33). Sources: https://library.municode.com/fl/pasco_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=xA24A582DF14A, https://library.municode.com/fl/pasco_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=xA2480421FB0B, https://library.municode.com/fl/pasco_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=xA24CAC39D655, https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/emergency_services/index.php, https://pascosheriff.com/contact/, https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/code_compliance/index.php, https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/customer_service/index.php, https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/animal_services/index.php, https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/code_compliance/backyard_chicken_ordinance.php, https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/125.69 and https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/162.21.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Pasco 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: on paper the division covers the whole county. It embraces all territory within the county's legal boundaries, incorporated and unincorporated, unless in conflict with or specifically deleted by a municipal ordinance (Sec. 66-94). The code's general rule adds that a County section in conflict with a municipal ordinance is not effective in that municipality to the extent of the conflict, and that the Board of County Commissioners shall not enforce a section inside a municipality unless the municipality asks by resolution and repeals any inconsistent ordinances (Sec. 1-5). The text read for this page does not say which municipalities have their own noise rules or have made that request. The County's dispatch page names four city police departments: Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Zephyrhills. The noise map linked from this page is Tampa's, the nearest mapped city; Tampa is in Hillsborough County, a separate jurisdiction, and both have their own pages. (2) The law is old. The division comes from Ord. No. 74-10 of April 23, 1974, and its history notes show one later ordinance, Ord. No. 97-10 of July 29, 1997, on Sec. 66-97. It still names phonographs and radio receiving sets, and Sec. 66-93 as printed bans noise that "exceed the limited set forth in this article", which this page reads as the limits. (3) By day, most household noise has no number. The 55 dBA residential limit runs only from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; the figures that apply by day are for sound devices (66 dBA until 6 p.m., 60 dBA until 10 p.m.), for air conditioning, heating and ventilating units (60 dBA at any time), for commercial and industrial zones, and for devices in parks (Sec. 66-97(3), (4), (6), (7)). (4) A reading has to stand out from the background: a measurement of noise must be at least five dB above the ambient noise level, and the meter used to determine compliance must meet or exceed type 2 under ANSI standard S1.4 (Sec. 66-91). (5) Music and television face two tests and the division's only penalty clause. One test is the 66, 60 and 55 dBA limits, measured from the property line of the noise source. The other has no number: it is unlawful to use such a device so as to cause a noise disturbance that disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighborhood. Violations of subsection (7) are prosecuted as a misdemeanor in the second degree (Sec. 66-97(7)). (6) Apartments: in multifamily dwelling units the night limit is 40 dBA, measured within a neighbor's dwelling, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily (Sec. 66-97(4)). (7) Sunday counts as night for business and construction noise: the 55 dBA limit at residential property lines applies during all hours of Sunday (Sec. 66-97(2), (3)). Impulsive noises, defined as brief excursions of sound pressure that significantly exceed the ambient level, get ten dBA more by day only (Secs. 66-91, 66-97(3)). (8) Waivers are narrow. The county administrator may waive the limits in writing, with conditions such as mufflers or screens, only for noises created within an industrial or commercial zone by operations that existed on the effective date of the original ordinance, for no longer than 180 days at a time, renewable; a denial can be appealed to the Board of County Commissioners within 30 days (Sec. 66-96). Sec. 66-97(3) also allows a waiver from Table 1 where an activity is so important to public welfare, health or safety that it cannot be shut down, or where a business set up away from homes and residential development or rezoning later reached it; in that second case the limits for industrial-commercial boundaries govern. (9) Vehicles: the division has no decibel figure for road vehicles. It bans straight pipes, altered mufflers and gutted mufflers on a motor vehicle (Sec. 66-97(1)), and power-driven construction equipment may not be run without a muffler or other noise-reduction device at least as effective as the manufacturer's (Sec. 66-97(2)). Trail bikes and all-terrain vehicles used off the highways are held by day to the levels specified by law for motorcycles, and from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 60 dBA measured at least ten feet away (Sec. 66-97(6)). (10) Parks: running a mechanical or electrical device in an outdoor public recreation area or park above 60 dBA, measured at least ten feet from the source, is unlawful, except at planned community events such as concerts, speeches, sporting events and fireworks displays; an event that will exceed 60 dBA needs a permit from the county administrator beforehand (Sec. 66-97(6)). (11) Only four exceptions are listed: warning or emergency signal devices such as sirens, horns and bells used for their intended purposes; emergency repair of facilities or restoration of services such as public utilities; ordinary noise from railways, shipping lanes and aircraft; and cultural, historical or traditional observances, holidays and ceremonies, with a permit for each event from the county administrator (Sec. 66-95). (12) Barking has a clock and a stopwatch, in the animal ordinance rather than the noise division. A dog is a nuisance if it barks, howls or makes noise frequently or continually between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., or for periods of ten minutes or more at any time; the same two tests apply to birds; dogs and birds housed at commercial businesses are excepted; and the section does not apply to fowl such as roosters, chickens, turkeys, pheasants, guineas and peacocks, or to other game or farm birds. A court that finds a nuisance may order the owner to reduce or limit the number or types of animals (Sec. 14-98). (13) Roosters: where chickens are kept on residential property under the County's chicken rules, no more than four hens may be kept, there shall be no roosters, and a chick that matures into a rooster must be removed before it begins to crow (Sec. 14-150, Ord. No. 25-45, 11-12-25); chickens may not create a nuisance of odor, noise or pests (Sec. 14-152). The County's backyard chicken page says Code Compliance handles enforcement and lists the presence of a crowing rooster among the things enforcement focuses on. (14) No anonymous code complaints: state law bars a code inspector from starting an investigation on an anonymous complaint, and the County's Code Compliance page repeats the rule. (15) Noise from outside: noise that starts in an area the division does not cover and carries into one it does is a violation if it is over the limits when measured from within the covered area (Sec. 66-94).

Document it before you report it

Some of Pasco County's limits are measured numbers, so a reading can help, and a dated log counts either way. 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 Tampa noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.