Loudoun Noise Ordinance Now in Force

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Listen up, folks! Noise ordinance enforcement in Loudoun County began on Sept. 1, 2016, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO).

The amendments to the county’s ordinances were adopted by the Loudoun Board of Supervisors during its July 13 public hearing.

The amendments to the ordinance prohibit some noise based on time of day or duration of sound. For example:

• Music may not be plainly audible and discernable within 100 feet or more from the sound’s source during a private party or other similar non-governmental event between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• A horn or alarm on any motor vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or other vehicle on a street or in a public place cannot be sounded for more than 20 consecutive seconds except as a danger warning or as permitted by law.
• Spinning of tires and racing of engines in a motor vehicle or motorcycle are prohibited as well as the emission of noise created by the absence of a muffler.

The amendments exclude some sound generating activities from regulation, including agricultural operations; sounds from places of worship such as bells and chimes; sounds from emergency operations such as sirens; parades and fireworks and similar county-approved events; operations of a public facility; and school-sponsored or organized youth athletic contests or practices, or other school activities.

Violations of the noise ordinance range from a Class 3 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of $500, to a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of twelve months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

For more information visit: www.sheriff.loudoun.gov/noise-ordinance. Additional information is available online at: www.loudoun.gov/NoiseZOAM.