Noise ordinances › Savannah, GA

Savannah noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 30, 2026

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Quiet hours in Savannah

The main clock is Table I in 9-2034: in residential zoning districts (any district containing the letter R) the limit is 60 dBA from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 50 dBA from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., while business (65 dBA), industrial (75 dBA) and noise-sensitive areas (55 dBA) have one limit at all times. Electrical power tools and motor-powered, muffler-equipped lawn, garden and tree trimming equipment are exempt from 9-2034 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., so they come under it from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Construction, drilling, demolition and preventive maintenance work for public service utilities may not create a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.; at other times a level above 85 dBA at or across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area counts as a noise disturbance (9-2038). Loading, unloading, opening, closing or handling boxes, crates, containers, building materials, refuse, garbage cans, motor vehicles or similar objects may not create a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following day (9-2035). Powered model vehicles (model planes, boats, cars or rockets) may not be operated outdoors from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. the following day, or at any time within 150 feet of a residential or noise-sensitive real property boundary (9-2035). Where the receiving land is residential, sound equipment for activities authorized by the City (such as fairs, parades, outdoor concerts, outdoor neighborhood functions like lawn and pool parties and street dances, civic and religious celebrations, and recreational and athletic activities) may be used only from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (9-2036). Fireworks are lawful only from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, plus 10 p.m. to 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 "between the hours of 12:00 and 1 a.m. on January 1" (9-2035). The rules for bars, vehicle sound systems, musical instruments and animals have no time band, and a barking dog is judged "at any time of day or night" (9-2035, 9-2036, 9-2039). Apart from the fireworks dates, the article sets no separate weekend or holiday hours.

Decibel limits

Yes. Table I (9-2034) sets the maximum permissible sound levels at or within the real property boundary of a receiving land use: residential 60 dBA from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 50 dBA from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.; business 65 dBA at all times; industrial 75 dBA at all times; noise-sensitive area 55 dBA at all times. For any source that emits a pure tone (a sound distinctly heard as a single pitch or a set of single pitches) each limit is reduced by 5 dBA. Categories follow the City's zoning ordinance, and residential means any zoning district containing the letter R. Any sound above these levels is deemed a noise disturbance. Measurement (9-2034): a sound level meter meeting ANSI standards, kept in calibration, with a calibration check at the time of each measurement and a windscreen when required; measurements are made as close to the property line of the receiving land use as practical, over a period of not less than ten minutes, and "the sound levels measured shall not exceed the sound levels set forth in table I by more than ten percent of any measurement period"; traffic, aircraft and other transportation noise and other background noise are not considered unless they interfere with the noise being measured. Where no weighting is stated, A-weighting applies (9-2032). Construction (9-2038): outside 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., a level above 85 dBA at or across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area is a noise disturbance. Activities authorized by the City may use sound equipment up to 90 dB(A) measured 50 feet from the equipment (9-2036). Moving vehicles (9-2037), measured at least 25 feet (7.5 meters) from the near side of the nearest lane being monitored and at least four feet above the surface: vehicles with a gross vehicle or gross combination weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more, and vehicles they tow, except those operated by an interstate motor carrier, 91 dB(A) where the speed limit is 35 mph or less and 95 dB(A) where it is over 35 mph; any other motor vehicle or towed combination, 76 dB(A) and 80 dB(A). Fireworks must also meet the 9-2034 limits (9-2035). Rules with no meter: any noise disturbance, defined as any sound which endangers or injures the welfare, safety or health of human beings, disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities, or devalues or injures personal or real property (9-2032, 9-2034); bars, taverns, lounges, nightclubs, dancehalls, game rooms and similar activities whose noise is plainly audible beyond the premises; a radio or similar device in or on a private motor vehicle on a public right-of-way or public space, or in a private boat on public waters, plainly audible other than to the occupants; a device plainly audible to anyone other than its operator on a common carrier or a public right-of-way, place or space; and sound equipment for commercial advertising plainly audible from any public street or public place (9-2036). Musical instruments, night loading, vehicle and motorboat repair and animals are judged by whether they create a noise disturbance or disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood (9-2035, 9-2039). The term "plainly audible" is not defined in 9-2032.

What the ordinance actually says

§ 9-2034: "Maximum permissible sound levels. With the exception of sound levels elsewhere specifically authorized by this article, table I sets forth the maximum permissible sound levels allowed at or within the real property boundary of a receiving land use."

§ 9-2034: "The measurement of all sound levels shall be made as close to the property line of the receiving land use as is practical. The measurement period shall not be less than ten minutes, and the sound levels measured shall not exceed the sound levels set forth in table I by more than ten percent of any measurement period."

§ 9-2034: "The provisions of this section shall not apply to the operation of the following domestic power tools or equipment between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.:" / "Electrical power tools." / "Motor-powered, muffler-equipped lawn, garden, and tree trimming equipment."

§ 9-2036: "Create a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area. However, bars, taverns, lounges, nightclubs, dancehalls, game rooms and similar activities which produce a noise that is plainly audible beyond the premises shall be deemed a noise disturbance in violation of this article."

§ 9-2038: "No person shall operate or permit the operation of any tools or equipment in construction, drilling, demolition work, or in preventive maintenance work for public service utilities:" / "Between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., in any manner which creates a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area;" / "At any other time, in any manner which creates a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or within a nonsensitive area; for purposes of this subparagraph [subsection], a sound level at or across a real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area in excess of 85 dBA shall be deemed a noise disturbance."

§ 9-2035: "Loading and unloading. No person shall so load, unload, open, close or handle boxes, crates, containers, building materials, refuse, garbage cans, motor vehicles, or similar objects between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day as to create a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive area."

§ 9-2032: "Noise disturbance. Any sound which endangers or injures the welfare, safety or health of human beings, or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities, or devalues or injures personal or real property, or as hereinafter defined."

§ 9-2041: "Any person in violation of this article, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to such penalties as are provided by law for other misdemeanors. Each and every day a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (City of Savannah Code of Ordinances, Division II, Part 9 (Offenses), Chapter 2 (Nuisances), Article B (Noise Control), the noise control ordinance for the City of Savannah, Georgia: Sec. 9-2031 Title, 9-2032 Definitions, 9-2033 Exceptions, 9-2034 Noise disturbance prohibited (Table I), 9-2035 Specific activities prohibited, 9-2036 Regulation of sound equipment and sound-amplifying equipment, 9-2037 Motorized vehicles, 9-2038 Construction, 9-2039 Animals and birds, 9-2040 Variance, 9-2041 Administration, appeals and penalties; Secs. 9-2042 to 9-2050 Reserved. Each section derives from the Code 1977 section of the same number; Secs. 9-2034, 9-2038 and 9-2040 also cite Ord. of 12-14-2000, § 1, and Sec. 9-2035 cites Ord. of 10-8-2020(23), § 1 and carries an "Effective on" date of 10/8/2020, the only effective date the article shows. Text read on enCodePlus, the City's current code host (Municode's Savannah copy stops at March 18, 2021 and points to enCodePlus), on 2026-10-30.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-30. 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 Savannah

No City of Savannah or Savannah Police Department page found today names a channel for noise complaints, and Article B gives enforcement to a noise control officer, defined only as the person designated by the City (9-2032, 9-2041), without naming a department. What the official pages say: the Savannah Police Department's home page gives no non-emergency number; it lists the Information Desk, 201 Habersham Street, at 912-651-6675 (7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Monday to Sunday) and four precincts, Northwest 912-651-6990, Central 912-651-6931, Southside 912-351-3400 and Eastside 912-898-3252, and does not mention noise. The only SPD page read today with a non-emergency number is a post of January 21, 2025, announcing that SPD Customer Service Desks would close until the City resumed normal operations; it says to call 911 for all emergency calls and 912-652-6500 for non-emergency calls, and gives the Customer Service Desk at 912-651-6675, but it was written for that closure, no standing SPD page read today repeats 912-652-6500, and it does not mention noise. SPD's online reporting page lists six incident types it takes online (identity fraud, criminal trespass, criminal damage to property in the second degree, lost or mislaid property, traffic complaints and private property crash reports), none of them noise, and for an incident not listed it says to call the Savannah Police Department, giving only Emergency 9-1-1. The City's 311 FAQ says 311 is for residents, businesses or tourists requesting non-emergency information or services, the 311 Action Center is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and urgent matters may also be reported after hours, callers who cannot get through on a cell phone, or who are outside city limits, can call 912-651-6565, requests can be tracked on the online 311 portal or the free SAV311 app, and matters of public safety go to police or 911; it does not mention noise. The Code Compliance page (Senior Director (912) 651-6770, and a "311 Service Request" link) lists property maintenance, zoning, residential parking, sanitation, short-term vacation rentals and special events and tourism-related permits, not noise. Under the code, variance permits are applied for through the city manager's office (9-2040); anyone aggrieved by a decision or order of the noise control officer may appeal to the Superior Court of Chatham County after exhausting all administrative remedies; and a violation is a misdemeanor, punished as other misdemeanors are under the law, with each day a separate offense (9-2041). Sources: https://savannahpd.org/, https://savannahpd.org/spd-customer-service-desks-will-close-until-the-city-resumes-normal-operations/, https://savannahpd.org/online-reporting/, https://www.savannahga.gov/m/faq?cat=65, https://www.savannahga.gov/516/Code-Compliance.

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

Worth knowing

Notable quirks: (1) Night starts at 7 p.m. for the residential decibel limit and for construction (Table I, 9-2038), at 8 p.m. for loading and unloading (9-2035), and only at 10 p.m. for household power tools and lawn equipment, which are exempt from 9-2034 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (9-2034). (2) Table I follows the zoning of the receiving land: residential means any zoning district containing the letter R (Table I, note 2), although 9-2032 separately defines residential as any property with a building used wholly or partially for living or sleeping. The 55 dBA noise-sensitive limit applies only in an area designated for exceptional quiet and clearly posted with noise-sensitive area signs (9-2032); the article does not say who designates these areas. (3) Measurement ignores traffic, aircraft and other transportation noise unless it interferes with the noise being measured, needs at least ten minutes, and allows the measured levels to exceed Table I by no "more than ten percent of any measurement period", which reads as allowing the table to be exceeded for up to ten percent of the period (9-2034). (4) Construction (9-2038): the night test is any noise disturbance, with no number; the daytime clause deems a level above 85 dBA a noise disturbance. The section does not apply to emergency work or repair work by or for governmental entities or public service utilities, to the domestic power tools exempted in 9-2034, or to "Construction equipment that has attached in good operative condition the best noise-attenuating device as recommended by the manufacturer"; read literally, that last exemption takes such equipment out of the whole section, including the 7 p.m. curfew. The daytime clause also says "within a nonsensitive area" where noise-sensitive area appears to be meant. (5) A bar, tavern, lounge, nightclub, dancehall, game room or similar activity whose noise is plainly audible beyond the premises is a noise disturbance whatever the reading (9-2036). (6) Vehicles (9-2037): a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more may not idle, on its main or an auxiliary engine, for more than 20 consecutive minutes within 150 feet of property zoned and used for residential purposes unless it stands inside a completely enclosed structure, except delivery or pickup vehicles that need the engine to load or unload; every motor vehicle needs an exhaust system free from defects that affect sound reduction, with a muffler or other noise-dissipative device and no cutout, bypass or similar device. As defined in 9-2032, "motor vehicle" does not include a motorcycle, and 9-2037 is written in terms of motor vehicles, so as written its pass-by limits and exhaust rules do not name motorcycles; repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing a motorcycle in a way that creates a noise disturbance across a residential boundary or outdoors in a noise-sensitive area is covered (9-2035). (7) The article does not apply to sound alerting people to an emergency, sound from emergency work, agricultural activities (other than those involving animals or birds), rail and air transportation and public mass transportation vehicles, church or clock carillons, bells or chimes, or the discharge of weapons or fireworks displays for which a permit has been issued (9-2033). (8) Fireworks (in 9-2035, whose history cites Ord. of 10-8-2020(23)): lawful only for a person 18 or older who is lawfully allowed on the site, within the hours in 9-2035, and within the 9-2034 sound limits; other use, unless permitted under 9-2040, is subject to citation and penalties under 9-2041 (9-2035). (9) A barking dog is one that barks, bays, cries, howls or makes other noise continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for half an hour or more, to the disturbance of any person, at any time and whether or not it is on private property; a dog is not a barking dog if someone is trespassing or threatening to trespass on the property where it is, or if it was teased or provoked (9-2039). (10) Outdoor fire, burglar or civil defense alarms, sirens and whistles may sound only for emergencies or testing and must cut off automatically 15 minutes after activation (9-2035). (11) Selling by shouting or outcry in residential or business areas needs City authorization (9-2035), and sound equipment used for commercial advertising may not be plainly audible from any public street or public place (9-2036). (12) Variance permits come from the city manager when more time is needed to comply, or when the activity is temporary and cannot comply, and no reasonable alternative is available; the permit states its conditions, such as the effective date, time of day, location, sound level or equipment limitation (9-2040). (13) The noise control officer administers the article, orders abatement of violations and revokes permits; the penalty is that of other misdemeanors, and the article states no dollar figure (9-2041). (14) Aircraft noise abatement procedures (Sec. 4-7506) and loudspeakers and recorded messages for tour service (Sec. 6-1545) are cross-referenced but sit outside Article B and were not read for this row.

Document it before you report it

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