Noise Ordinance

The Noise Ordinance (Good Neighbor Ordinance) applies to noise within the City and from City-owned lands outside the City limits. To read the City of Fredericksburg’s Noise Ordinance Code, click here. 

The City of Fredericksburg uses a plainly audible standard when determining violations of the ordinance. Plainly Audible is defined as any sound that can be heard clearly by a person using his or her unaided hearing faculties, including understandable speech, comprehensible musical rhythms, melody, or instrumentation, and detectable rhythmic bass tones.

What violates the City Noise Ordinance?

Type of NoiseWhen is it a Violation?

Loud parties/ musical instruments

Music is allowed if it cannot be plainly heard from 100 feet away

Any time of day

Live entertainment/ music/ gatherings downtown

  • Noise is allowed if it cannot be plainly audible more than 200 feet away from the source
  • Noise is allowed if it cannot be plainly heard more than 100 feet away from the source

 

7:00 a.m. to midnight

 Midnight to 7:00 a.m. 

Nighttime Disturbance

Includes yelling, shouting, screaming, or shrieking on public streets that is plainly audible beyond 100’ in the downtown district

 

11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 

Musical Instruments & Electronic Devices 
One hundred or more feet from the source of the sound when located on a public street or downtown sidewalk

Any time of day

Motor Vehicles 

  • Unnecessarily accelerating or decelerating quickly, revving the engine, discharging exhaust, or screeching tires.
  • Playing any audio device located within or on a motor vehicle, if the audio device is plainly audible at 100 feet away

Any time of day

Animals

  • Barking, howling, meowing, squawking, or other vocalizations of an animal that are plainly audible across a property boundary for 15 minutes
  • Barking, howling, meowing, squawking, or other vocalizations of an animal that are plainly audible across a property boundary for 10 minutes

 

7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 

Construction

Construction, demolition, alteration, or repair of any building, excavation of any street, or unloading of construction materials

 

Monday - Friday 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 

Sat, Sun, & holidays 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Trash

Refuse and recycling collection activities

 

10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

 

First Steps to Addressing a Noise Issue

The City encourages residents to consider the following alternatives before reporting a noise ordinance violation:

  • If you are comfortable, contact your neighbor directly and/or seek alternative means of dispute resolution
  • Residents living in communities (apartments, homeowners’ associations, etc.) that may offer remedies for problems such as excess noise should contact their property management agents and review their community agreements
  • Consider contacting your neighborhood or civic association, or other community group to act as agents in resolving the conflict

Reporting a Violation

If you suspect a violation, but are not successful addressing the issue through direct contact with the offender or working through your property management or community association, you may report the issue to the Fredericksburg Police Department by calling their non-emergency line at 540-373-3122 and selecting option 2. 

 Please note that patrol officers must witness the violation to enforce the Noise Ordinance. Some issues correct themselves before officers can witness them and cite a violation.  

Noise Exemption Requests

You may apply for a Noise Ordinance Wavier in either of the following circumstances:

  • Playing musical instruments and electronic audio devices plainly audible at 100 feet from the property boundary
  • Construction, demolition, alteration or repair of any building, excavation of any street, or unloading of construction materials that is plainly audible across a property boundary other than 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. All building permits must be active/issued before submitting a Noise Ordinance Request. 

Please submit a Noise Ordinance Wavier Application to Heather Hughes in person at the Dorothy Hart Community Center located at 408 Canal Street, Fredericksburg or by email. For questions regarding the application, call Ms. Hughes at 540-372-1086 ext. 307. 

If approved for a noise ordinance waiver and the Fredericksburg Police Department determines a waiver violation, they will first give a verbal warning. If the Department determines a second waiver violation, they will revoke the noise ordinance waiver. If the noise ordinance waiver is revoked, the restrictions of the noise ordinance will be in effect, and no new waiver will be issued for the same address for twelve months.