Noise ordinances › Winston-Salem, NC

Winston-Salem noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: October 5, 2026

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Quiet hours in Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem has no single citywide quiet period. Playing a radio, phonograph, musical instrument or sound equipment so as to frighten or disturb a reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities in a nearby dwelling, hotel or other residence is prohibited "at any time, during the day, or night, but particularly during hours between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m." (46-2(b)(5)). In any residentially zoned area, or within 300 feet of any residence, three activities are banned from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.: front-end loaders collecting refuse, garage machinery, and lawn mowers and other gasoline-powered domestic tools used outdoors, unless the work is done so that it is not plainly audible from the neighboring premises or residence, or is emergency work (46-5(a)-(b)); in Growth Management Area 1, dumping or recycling glass bottles or cans within 300 feet of a residence is banned from midnight to 6:00 a.m. (46-5(d)). Commercial establishments' outdoor amplified sound and outdoor live acoustic music drop from 85 dB(A) to 60 dB(A) at 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, until 8:00 a.m. the next day (46-7(a)). Stadiums, arenas and outdoor sports or entertainment facilities are held to 85 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (46-8(c)). Permitted noncommercial sound trucks and amplifiers on streets, sidewalks and similar places may operate only 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and not at all on Sundays and legal holidays; in public squares, parks and recreational areas, from 2:00 p.m. to sunset on any day, with unlimited hours at Winston Square and Corpening Plaza (46-33(d)(2), (e)). Drive-in theaters operating as nonconforming uses in residential districts may not be audible within the district more than 1,000 feet away from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (46-34); ice cream trucks may not use amplification after 9:00 p.m. (46-35(a)(3)); and supervised fireworks displays are exempt from the 46-5 residential-life rules only from noon to 11:00 p.m., or until midnight on the Fourth of July (46-6(g)). Outside Chapter 46, major motor vehicle repair in R-1 to R-6 districts is barred all day Sunday and from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on weekdays (62-4(b)(1)); nonconforming cafes and restaurants in residential districts must not operate from midnight to 6:00 a.m. (38-26(a)); and street performances are barred before 10:00 a.m., and after 11:00 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday or midnight Thursday to Saturday in the central business district, or after 2:00 a.m. in the entertainment district (74-400(f)(4)-(5)). The City Code sets no hours for construction noise; the separately published Unified Development Ordinances (Sec. 86-1) are outside this summary.

Decibel limits

Only for two kinds of source. (1) A commercial establishment (bars, restaurants, nightclubs, private offices, fitness clubs, retail stores, banks, supermarkets and other establishments with common business areas, but not hotels, dormitories, hospitals, apartments, condominiums, prisons or other multi-unit dwellings) may not operate sound amplification equipment, or allow live acoustic music, out of doors or directed out of doors above 85 dB(A) between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and 60 dB(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or 85 dB(A) between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. and 60 dB(A) between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday (46-7(a)), measured "at the nearest property line of the complainant, according to subsections 46-8(d) and (e)(2)" (46-7(b)). (2) Amplified sound at stadiums, arenas and outdoor sports or entertainment facilities, including amphitheaters, may not exceed 85 dB(A) (46-8(b)) from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (46-8(c)); motorsports events are exempt from that standard from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (46-8(f)). Under 46-8(d)-(e), sound is measured with a class 1 or class 2 ANSI sound level meter on A-weighting and slow response, using the one-minute LEQ setting, with a clear view of the source where possible and a windscreen, at or within the nearest residential property line occupied by the complainant (for apartments, condominiums and similar buildings, at any point abutting the exterior of the complainant's unit). There is no decibel limit for homes, parties, vehicles, animals or tools. Those are judged without a meter: sounds "that disturb or frighten individuals" and are detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of any individual and the peace and dignity of the city (46-2(a)), with three of the five listed acts in 46-2(b) (shouting, noisy animals, and radios, instruments and sound equipment) judged by a "reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities"; radios, tape players and similar devices operated on a public right-of-way or public space that "produce disturbing or frightening noise at 100 feet" (46-2(c)(1)) or that "create noise at 50 feet" (46-36(a)); the plainly-audible exception for the nighttime residential activities in 46-5(b); and audibility caps of 100 feet for permitted sound trucks, 300 feet for permitted park amplification (46-33(d)(6), (e)), 600 feet for moving ice cream trucks (46-35(a)(1)) and 1,000 feet for drive-in theaters (46-34).

What the ordinance actually says

Sec. 46-2(a): "Subject to the provisions of this section, the production or emission of noise, amplified speech, music, or other sounds that disturb or frighten individuals and is detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of any individual and the peace and dignity of the city is prohibited."

Sec. 46-2(b)(5): "The playing of any radio, phonograph, musical instrument, or sound production or amplifying equipment in such manner or with such volume at any time, during the day, or night, but particularly during hours between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., as to frighten or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of any reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities in any dwelling, hotel or other type of residence in the vicinity."

Sec. 46-2(c)(1): "Cause, allow or permit the operating or playing of any radio, tape player or similar device that reproduces or amplifies sound in such a manner as to produce disturbing or frightening noise at 100 feet from the device or vehicle containing that device when the device or vehicle is being operated in or on a public right-of-way or public space."

Sec. 46-36(a): "Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this noise ordinance, no person shall cause, allow or permit the operating or playing of any radio, tape player or similar device that reproduces or amplifies sound in such a manner as to create noise at 50 feet from the device or vehicle containing that device when the device or vehicle is being operated in or on a public right-of-way or public space."

Sec. 46-7(a): "It shall be unlawful for any commercial establishment (including but not limited to a restaurant, bar, or nightclub) to operate or allow the operation of sound amplification equipment out of doors or directed out of doors or to allow live acoustic music out of doors or directed out of doors other than during the times listed below or so as to create sounds registering in excess of: (1) Sunday through Thursday: a. 85 db(A) between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.; b. 60 db(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following day; (2) Friday and Saturday: a. 85 db(A) between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.; or b. 60 db(A) between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following day."

Sec. 46-5(a)-(b): "It shall be unlawful to carry on the following activities in any residentially zoned area of the city or within 300 feet of any residence in the city: (1) The operation of a front-end loader for refuse collection between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; (2) The operation of garage machinery between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; and (3) The operation of lawn mowers and other gasoline-powered domestic tools out-of-doors between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (b) This section shall not apply to operations which are carried on in such a manner or in such a location as not to create sounds that are plainly audible from the neighboring premises or residence and shall not apply to emergency operations designed to protect the public health and safety."

Sec. 46-9(a)(1): "The violator may be assessed a civil penalty for violations of this article by a police officer. The violator shall be assessed a civil penalty of $100.00 for the first violation. For the second violation within one-year of the first violation a civil penalty of $500.00 shall be assessed. For their third and subsequent violation(s) within one-year of the first violation, a civil penalty of $1,000.00 shall be assessed. For purposes of this subsection, a civil penalty for a violation may be assessed each calendar day."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Code of Ordinances, City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Part III, Chapter 46 "Noise": Article I "In General," Sec. 46-2 (loud and disturbing noise; enacted new by Ord. No. 26-0066, 3-23-26, replacing the former section that adopted the county noise ordinance, and amended by Ord. No. 26-0252, 6-22-26), Sec. 46-4 (streets adjacent to hospitals designated quiet zones), Sec. 46-5 (sounds impacting residential life), Sec. 46-6 (exemptions), Sec. 46-7 (outdoor amplification and music at commercial establishments; enacted new by Ord. No. 26-0252, 6-22-26), Sec. 46-8 (standard for stadiums, arenas and outdoor sports or entertainment facilities; Ord. No. 26-0066 and Ord. No. 26-0252) and Sec. 46-9 (enforcement and penalties; chronic commercial establishment noise; Ord. No. 26-0252), with the former penalty section 46-1 repealed by Ord. No. 26-0252; Article II "Sound Trucks and Sound Amplifying Equipment," Secs. 46-31 through 46-36; with Secs. 6-8 to 6-11 (noisy fowl and dogs), 38-26 (cafes and restaurants in residential districts), 42-94(b) (motorcycle noise), 62-4(b)(1) (vehicle repair in residential areas) and 74-400 (street performances). Text read on Municode (library.municode.com, the City's code host: "Codified through Ordinance No. 26-0283, enacted June 22, 2026. (Supp. No. 103)"; the one uncodified ordinance Municode lists, No. 26-0353 (adopted 9-8-26), amends Sec. 38-10 on rifle discharge by wildlife officers at Smith Reynolds Airport and does not touch Chapter 46) on 2026-10-05.). Verified against the live code on 2026-10-05. 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 Winston-Salem

Per the Winston-Salem Police Department's 911 FAQ on cityofws.org: "If the emergency is not life threatening, please call our non-emergency contact number at 336-773-7700"; the page's police footer lists "Emergency Phone: 911" and "Non-Emergency/Information Phone: 336-773-7700." The Police Telcom page says "Call the Telcom Unit to report non-emergency incidents at 336-773-7700" and offers online Police-to-Citizen (P2C) reports, whose listed examples (aggressive driving, identity theft, larceny, police service) do not include noise. CityLink, the City's 311 service, takes requests at (336) 727-8000 (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday) and through its 311 portal and app, but its page does not mention noise. None of these pages names noise specifically. Under the code, civil penalties are assessed "by a police officer" (46-9(a)(1)); for barking dogs and crowing fowl, a complaint is made to the police department, whose representative notifies the person keeping the animals, who must abate the nuisance within 24 hours (6-10); and for ice cream truck violations "It shall be the responsibility of the complainant ... to obtain the necessary warrant" (46-35(b)). Permits for commercial and noncommercial amplified sound on streets and in parks come from the office of economic development, applied for at least 48 hours ahead (46-32, 46-33). Sources: https://www.cityofws.org/Faq.aspx?QID=206 and https://www.cityofws.org/1116/Telcom and https://www.cityofws.org/172/CityLink.

Step by step, with what to log and what to expect after you file: how to file a noise complaint in Winston-Salem. 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) The chapter was largely rewritten in 2026. Ord. No. 26-0066 (adopted March 23, 2026) repealed the old Sec. 46-2, which had adopted the county noise ordinance, and enacted the present one; Ord. No. 26-0252 (adopted June 22, 2026) replaced Sec. 46-7, which had dealt with noise from commercial establishments in an entertainment district, added the civil penalties and the chronic-noise-producer process in 46-9, and repealed the old penalty section 46-1. Summaries written before 2026 that describe Winston-Salem as using the county noise ordinance describe repealed text. (2) Two different distance tests cover the same situation: 46-2(c)(1) bans devices on a public right-of-way or public space that produce "disturbing or frightening noise at 100 feet," while 46-36(a), "Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this noise ordinance," bans the same devices in the same places if they "create noise at 50 feet." Sec. 46-2(c)(2) says "This section shall not apply" to emergency operations designed to protect public health and safety, agricultural operations and farms, or sound amplification in conjunction with a city festival; 46-36 does not apply to sound under a 46-33 permit or to ice cream trucks (46-36(b)). (3) Penalties for violating Article I: the City, at its discretion, may take one or more of these actions (46-9(a)): police-assessed civil penalties of $100 for a first violation, $500 for a second within a year of the first and $1,000 for each later one within that year, assessable each calendar day, with a $50 late fee after 30 days; a class 3 misdemeanor charge with a fine of up to $500; and a civil action for an injunction and order of abatement against anyone creating or allowing the noise, including the owner or person in control of the premises. Secs. 46-2, 46-5, 46-8 and 46-32 to 46-36 each also state that a violation is a class 3 misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $500.00. (4) Chronic noise producers: a commercial establishment cited for more than two violations of 46-7 can be designated a chronic noise producer by the city manager or designee, must attend a meeting, and may have to sign a noise mitigation plan; one that will not take part in good faith, refuses to agree to a plan, or fails to implement or comply with it can be designated non-cooperative, after which a 46-7 violation within a year may be assessed a $1,000 civil penalty, and two such violations bring an 18-month ban on outdoor amplification and outdoor live acoustic music that attaches to the establishment and the property (46-7(c), 46-9(a)(4), 46-9(b)). Designations can be appealed to the city manager within ten days (46-9(b)(6)). 46-7(c) cross-refers to "subsection 46-9(e)" and "subsection 46-10" for these steps; 46-9 has no subsection (e) and 46-10 is reserved, and the provisions are in 46-9(b)(4) and 46-9(a)(4). (5) On the text of 46-8, motorsports events are exempt from the 85 dB(A) venue standard from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (46-8(f)), the same window in which the standard applies (46-8(c)); the person in charge of a stadium, arena or outdoor venue is liable for violations by tenants, guests, invitees and licensees (46-8(h)). (6) The residential-life rule in 46-5 lists only refuse front-end loaders, garage machinery and gasoline-powered domestic tools, plus dumping or recycling glass bottles or cans in Growth Management Area 1, and its exemptions (46-6) include emergency and utility repairs, government road and bridge work at night when daytime work is impractical, school and playground activities, permitted outdoor events, permitted Central Business District events, authorized uses of public and private parks, government public services, aircraft and railroad operations. (7) Hospital quiet zones apply only in the block of a hospital and only where the City maintains clearly visible signs (46-4). (8) Animals: a dog that habitually and regularly barks, howls or whines "for at least 15 minutes" so as to seriously annoy neighboring residents and interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of their premises is a nuisance, and the rule reaches dogs kept within one mile of the city as well as inside it (6-9); fowl that crow or cackle for at least 15 minutes at night or around daybreak are covered the same way (6-8); veterinarians and commercial kennels are covered only if negligent or unreasonable (6-11). (9) Sound trucks and amplifiers in public places need a permit from the office of economic development 48 hours ahead; permitted noncommercial use is limited to music or human speech, equipment of no more than 15 watts, no sound within 100 yards of hospitals, schools or churches, no sound trucks operating within the fire limits, and trucks moving at 10 miles per hour or more except when stopped by traffic (46-32, 46-33). (10) Other noise rules elsewhere in the Code: motorcycles operated so as to create "loud, unnecessary or unusual noise" (42-94(b)); no disk jockey shows or horn-blowing for service at nonconforming cafes and drive-ins in residential districts (38-26(b)-(c)); and street performers must not violate Chapter 46, Articles I and II, and may not use amplification devices at all (74-400(f)(6)-(7)).

Document it before you report it

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