Asheville Noise Ordinance: Decibel Limits, Quiet Hours, and Fines

The Asheville noise ordinance, set out in Chapter 10, Article IV of the city code, works two different ways depending on where the sound is coming from. In the Central Business District and other commercial and industrial zones, the city enforces specific decibel limits measured with a sound meter. In residential neighborhoods, parks, and public rights-of-way, the test is whether the sound would disturb a reasonable person of normal sensitivity. Knowing which standard applies to your block, your bar, or your neighbor’s party is what tells you whether a violation has actually occurred.¹²

Two Standards, Two Kinds of Places

In the Central Business District (CBD), Commercial, and Industrial zones, the ordinance sets numeric limits. Exceed the decibel figure in Table 1 of Sec. 10-83 and you are in violation, no matter the circumstances.¹

In residential districts, public spaces, and rights-of-way, the city applies a “noise disturbance” standard. A noise disturbance is any unreasonably loud sound that endangers health or safety, damages property, or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivity. Officers weigh the time of day, how loud and intense the sound is, whether it is amplified, how long it lasts, and the character of the surrounding area.²

The same volume of amplified music can be a violation on one street and allowable on another, because context is part of the test.

Decibel Limits by District

Sound levels in the non-residential districts are measured in dB(A), the A-weighted scale that reflects how the ear perceives sound. The baseline limits are:¹

Central Business District: 72 dB(A) daytime, 67 dB(A) nighttime, and 62 dB(A) between 2:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Commercial District: 65 dB(A) daytime, 57 dB(A) nighttime.
Industrial District: 70 dB(A) daytime, 65 dB(A) nighttime.

Two additional reductions can stack on top of those numbers. A sound carrying a pure tone drops the limit by five decibels, and a continuous drone, cyclical pattern, or repetitive impulse drops it another five. A steady hum in the CBD after 2:00 a.m. can face a 10 dB(A) total reduction from the daytime limit.¹

Readings are taken at the receiver’s property, not at the source, using an ANSI Class 1 or 2 sound level meter on slow response, averaged over one minute (Leq1). A brief spike will not necessarily trigger a violation; the one-minute average has to exceed the threshold.³

Quiet Hours and the Weekend Extension

The daytime and nighttime windows are not uniform across the week, which catches people off guard:¹

Sunday through Thursday, daytime runs 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday in the CBD and Commercial Districts, daytime extends to 11:00 p.m.
Nighttime starts at 10:00 p.m., or 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in the CBD and Commercial Districts, and runs until 7:00 a.m.
In the CBD only, a late-night band runs from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. with an extra five-decibel reduction below the nighttime limit.

The weekend extension gives downtown venues an extra hour at daytime volume on the nights when nightlife peaks. The 2:00 a.m. tightening in the CBD recognizes that downtown has residents too.

What Counts as a Noise Disturbance in a Residential Area

Outside the commercial zones, the ordinance leans on the noise disturbance test rather than a decibel reading. Certain activities come up repeatedly:

Amplified music and sound systems, including vehicle stereos audible to pedestrians or other drivers.
Musical instruments, amplified or acoustic, played loudly enough to disturb neighbors.
Animals that frequently or for extended periods make noise disturbing people on adjoining property.⁴
Vehicle noise, including improper mufflers, unnecessary tire squealing, and horn use outside legally required signals.
Domestic power tools, mechanical devices, and combustion-engine recreational vehicles such as go-karts and ATVs.
Security alarms that sound for more than 20 minutes after the owner has been notified by law enforcement.
Parties, which the ordinance names explicitly.

The animal provision under Sec. 3-9 does not set a fixed time threshold like “15 minutes of barking.” It asks whether the noise is frequent or prolonged enough to disturb a reasonable person on adjoining property, which leaves officers room to judge the actual situation.⁴

Construction Hours Are Tighter

Construction has its own rule in Sec. 10-87. Work performed under a city building permit is limited to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Sunday construction is not permitted under the standard rules.⁵

The chief building official can issue an after-hours permit, but only when the work will occur for no more than three 12-hour periods within a seven-day stretch. Emergency construction needed to protect public health or safety does not require an advance permit and can be authorized retroactively.⁵

The 7:00 p.m. cutoff is earlier than the 10:00 p.m. general nighttime transition for commercial zones. Construction noise is treated as its own category.

Permits for Events That Will Go Over the Limit

Any activity on private property in the CBD or Commercial Districts that will exceed the Table 1 limits requires a sound exceedance permit under Sec. 10-88. There are three tiers:⁶

Type 1, for 1 to 2 events per year, costs $100 annually.
Type 2, for 3 to 8 events per year, costs $200 annually.
Type 3, for 9 to 30 events per year, costs $500 annually and is available only to permitted Performance Centers.

The application requires a site plan showing stage locations, speaker orientation, audience seating, entry and exit points, and the zoning of adjacent properties. You list the dates and times of the expected exceedance and designate a contact person who can immediately reduce the sound if the city requires it. Applicants must certify they will notify addresses within 500 feet of the property at least one week before the event.⁷

Deadlines are firm. Type 1 and Type 2 applications must be submitted at least 14 days before the event. Type 3 applications require 30 days. The city evaluates applications on site suitability (topography, proximity to homes), venue capacity, sound intensity and duration, mitigation strategies, and the site’s history of verified complaints.⁷

How to Report a Noise Problem

The city offers several routes depending on what you are reporting and how urgent it is:²

The online complaint form goes to the Noise Compliance Division, which follows up during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff can arrange after-hours investigations but are not on call for immediate response.
For noise happening right now, call the Asheville Police Department non-emergency line at (828) 252-1110. Calls are dispatched based on officer availability, and the Noise Compliance Division reviews all complaints APD receives.
Animal noise goes to the Animal Services Division at (828) 252-1110. Officers work Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and weekends from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Call 911 for immediate safety concerns.

For an ongoing problem at midnight on a Saturday, the police non-emergency line is the practical choice. The online form fits recurring problems where you want a documented record the Compliance Division will investigate during the following workweek.

Fines and Repeat Offender Escalation

Fines escalate when the same person commits the same type of violation within a two-year window: $100 for the first, $200 for the second, $300 for the third, and $500 for the fourth and any later offenses. Operating without a required sound exceedance permit, or violating the terms of one you hold, carries a $500 fine. Repeat violations can also lead to suspension, revocation, or denial of permits.

Enforcement starts with the Noise Compliance Division or responding officers assessing the complaint, either with a calibrated sound meter where decibel limits apply or against the noise disturbance factors in residential areas. For commercial venues, the combination of escalating fines and permit consequences is where the ordinance has real teeth.

1
American Legal Publishing. Asheville, North Carolina Code of Ordinances – Sec. 10-83 General Regulation
2
The City of Asheville. Report a Noise Complaint
3
The City of Asheville. Noise Disturbance
4
American Legal Publishing. Asheville, North Carolina Code of Ordinances – Sec. 3-9 Public Nuisance
5
American Legal Publishing. Asheville, North Carolina Code of Ordinances – Sec. 10-87 Construction Sound
6
The City of Asheville. Noise Disturbance – Section: Apply for a Sound Exceedance Permit
7
American Legal Publishing. Asheville, North Carolina Code of Ordinances – Sec. 10-88 Permitting