Richmond noise rules at a glance
- Governing code: Richmond City Code, Chapter 11, Article II (Sound Control)
- Quiet hours: 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM are the code's nighttime hours
- How violations are judged: Measured decibel limits
- Complaints: RVA311
How Richmond decides what counts as too loud
Richmond defines excessive sound with two pairs of numbers — one for readings taken inside a building and a higher pair for outside — and runs its daytime window until 11:00 PM.
Noise limits in Richmond
| Applies to | Daytime | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Measured inside a structure | Sound above 65 dBA during daytime hours | Sound above 55 dBA during nighttime hours |
| Measured outside a structure | Sound above 75 dBA during daytime hours | Sound above 65 dBA during nighttime hours |
| Vehicles and amplified sound | Plainly audible at the stated distance is separately actionable | Same test |
What's specific to Richmond
- Daytime runs to 11:00 PM, so the stricter figures do not apply as early as in most cities.
- Animal noise has its own provision, triggered by sound plainly audible on a recurring basis.
- Amplified sound on another person's property requires a permit.
What Richmond residents most often report
- Amplified music entering homes, judged by the 65/55 dBA interior thresholds.
- Bar and restaurant noise in mixed-use blocks measured outdoors against 75/65 dBA.
- Vehicle sound systems, tested by plain audibility at a set distance.
How to measure it in Richmond
Say where you measured. Richmond writes two different thresholds for the same sound depending on whether the reading was taken inside a structure or outside it, and the gap is 10 dBA — quoting a figure without saying which applies makes it unusable. Take the reading indoors if the problem is sound entering your home, and note the time against the 11:00 PM boundary.
Record levels with the free online decibel meter, and log the date, start time and duration with each reading. A phone microphone is accurate to roughly ±2 dB and is not a calibrated instrument — enough to establish a pattern, not enough for an enforcement hearing.
Turn your readings into something you can file
RVA311 will ask when the noise happens and how long it lasts. A live decibel reading answers neither. Record a timestamped session — a ten-minute check or a full night — for free, and it is charted and kept on your device. When you are ready to file, export it as a PDF with the dates, times, duration and the statistics that describe a pattern rather than a moment.
- Timestamped sessions with the recording timezone
- Leq and L10/L50/L90 background levels
- Print-ready PDF report, one click
- Your last 25 sessions, kept on your device
Recording and charting are free. PDF reports are $19 for 3, with no subscription — see pricing.
Recording is free and stays on your device. A phone microphone is not a calibrated instrument — a session establishes a pattern, and this page is not legal advice.
How to file a noise complaint in Richmond
RVA311 takes noise reports and routes them to police for disturbances and to city enforcement for persistent commercial sources.
Before you file, read how to document a noise complaint — what to log, where to measure, and who to go to first — with a printable noise log.
Sources
Municipal codes are amended regularly and enforcement practice varies by neighbourhood and agency. This page summarises the code as of 2026-08-10 and is not legal advice — confirm against the linked code before relying on any figure, and consult a lawyer for a dispute.
Noise ordinances in nearby cities
See all US metro noise ordinances or read how many decibels is too loud.