Noise or loud music complaints should be directed to the Police non-emergency number 813-231-6130.
As it stands now, a person can legally own up to 40 unsterilized cats and dogs without any required inspection.
Taking Your Own Legal ActionSection 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 lets people take their own legal action in a Magistrates Court if they're experiencing noise problems. If you decide to try this and are successful, the court will give your neighbour a 'noise abatement order' and it can give them a fine.
In general, the ordinances prohibit unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise. Onslow County's ordinance is a general one, leaving interpretation of noise violations a subjective one left to the law enforcement officer responding.
Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any office, or in dwellings, hotels or other types of residences, or of any persons in the vicinity.
Noise Standards Summary
| Receiving Property Type | Time Period | A-Scale Limit in Decibels* |
|---|
| Residential | 7:00am - 10:00pm | 60 |
| 10:00pm - 7:00am | 55 |
| Commercial Areas | All Times | 65 |
| Industrial Areas | 70 |
Most local ordinances include “quiet times.” A typical ordinance prohibits loud noises between 11 p.m. and 7 or 8 a.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 to 10 a.m. on Sundays and holidays.
Noise that is unreasonable is: Loud noise after 11pm and before 7am. Loud music and other household noise at an inappropriate volume at any time.
In the State of Florida, disorderly conduct, also known as 'breach of peace,' occurs when a person interrupts or disturbs the peace and quiet in a public area, engages in a fight out in public, or outrageous public decency. When convicted of such an event, it is considered a second-degree misdemeanor.
What you can do about your loud neighbors.
- Document the offenses. There are a variety of ways you can do this.
- Give a courtesy knock. A courtesy knock may help.
- Pay your neighbor a visit. And if a friendly knock doesn't work, you can pay them a visit to their door.
- Contact the landlord.
- File a noise complaint.
Call the copsThe LAPD suggests that noise complaints, from loud TVs to awful parties, are best dealt with by your local police station. Call them at (877) ASK-LAPD (275-5273). Do not call 911.
34 dBA (decibels adjusted) if the underlying level of noise is no more than 24 dBA. 10 dBA above the underlying level of noise if this is more than 24 dBA.
| Noise Source | Decibel Level | comment |
|---|
| Quiet suburb, conversation at home. Large electrical transformers at 100 ft | 50 | One-fourth as loud as 70 dB. |
| Library, bird calls (44 dB); lowest limit of urban ambient sound | 40 | One-eighth as loud as 70 dB. |
| Quiet rural area | 30 | One-sixteenth as loud as 70 dB. Very Quiet |
| Whisper, rustling leaves | 20 | |
Florida has an odd loud noise law, because it basically makes it illegal to play amplified sound that is audible from 25 feet way. Orlando law enforcement have used this law as an excuse to pull over cars that they suspect possess drugs.
If your neighbor keeps disturbing you, you can sue, and ask the court for money damages or to order the neighbor to stop the noise ("abate the nuisance," in legal terms). The person you're suing is either creating the noise or is the landlord and therefore responsible. Your enjoyment of your home is affected.
As in many cities, loud music and noise can become an issue for some residents. There are state laws and city ordinances to deal with loud music and noise. California Penal Code section 415 makes it unlawful to disturb the peace of another with unreasonable loud noise, which could include music.
Laws in the U.S. Related to Noise at NightThe accepted standard is that people should not be playing loud music (50 decibels or higher) between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Many feel that it is acceptable to push that to midnight or 1 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
Excessive noise levels over a long period of time will damage your hearing. Some people exposed to excessive noise develop tinnitus, which is described as a constant ringing sound. For most cases of noise-induced hearing loss, there is no cure. Hearing aids only amplify sounds and can't replace normal hearing.
