Tennessee Noise Laws (2026): Quiet Hours, Car Stereos, Penalties

In Tennessee, quiet hours and decibel limits for homes come from city and county ordinances, while state law covers a few specific kinds of noise. A person commits disorderly conduct by making "unreasonable noise that prevents others from carrying on lawful activities," a Class C misdemeanor carrying not more than 30 days or a fine of up to $50, or both (Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-305(b), (c); 40-35-111(e)(3)). A car stereo may not be "plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet (50') or more from the vehicle" (55-8-193), and every motor vehicle needs a muffler that prevents "excessive or unusual noise" (55-9-202). To compare other states, see our guide to noise ordinance laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-10. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Tennessee state law on noise: disorderly conduct by unreasonable noise (Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-305) and the misdemeanor penalty ranges (40-35-111); the vehicle sound-system, muffler and horn rules (55-8-193, 55-9-202, 55-9-201); sport shooting ranges (39-17-316); the right-to-farm presumption (43-26-103); the 2025 nuisance-per-se amendments to 29-3-101 and 29-3-110 (Public Chapter 510); city and county ordinance powers and local penalty limits (6-2-201(22), 5-1-118, 6-54-306, 6-54-308, 16-18-302(a)(2)); interfering with a funeral (39-17-317); boat noise (69-9-301, 69-9-302, 69-9-304, 69-9-219); the landlord-tenant act's neighbor-disturbance duty (66-28-102, 66-28-401(5), 66-28-505(a)); state park noise and campground quiet-hour rules (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-02-02-.03, 0400-02-02-.05(7)); and the 2026 highway traffic noise study law (Public Chapter 1000). It does not cover the text of any city or county ordinance, lease terms, aircraft noise, federal law, or the law of other states.

About the statute text: The Tennessee Code Annotated sections quoted here are from the 2021 edition of the code. The public chapters of the 2025 and 2026 sessions contain no amendment to 39-17-305, 55-8-193, 55-9-202, 39-17-316 or 43-26-103; in those sessions, Public Chapter 143 (2025) amended 55-9-201, Public Chapter 510 (2025) amended 29-3-101 and 29-3-110, and Public Chapter 1000 (2026) added a highway traffic noise study section to Title 54. Amendments made from 2021 through 2024, and any amendment to 40-35-111, are not reflected in that statement. The sections on local powers and penalties, landlord-tenant duties, boat noise and funeral interference are also quoted from the 2021 edition, and later amendments to them are not reflected here.

Tennessee noise laws at a glance

Is loud noise disorderly conduct in Tennessee?

It can be. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-305 provides:

"(b) A person also violates this section who makes unreasonable noise that prevents others from carrying on lawful activities. (c) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor."

The noise clause has two parts that work together: the noise must be "unreasonable," and it must prevent others "from carrying on lawful activities." Both parts must be met.

Penalty. Under 40-35-111(e)(3), a Class C misdemeanor carries "not greater than thirty (30) days or a fine not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00), or both, unless otherwise provided by statute."

A separate offense covers funerals. A person who acts to obstruct or interfere with a funeral, burial, viewing, funeral procession or memorial service "by making any utterance, gesture, or display in a manner offensive to the sensibilities of an ordinary person" commits a Class B misdemeanor, and the section applies only to acts within 500 feet of the service (39-17-317). A Class B misdemeanor carries not more than six months or a fine of up to $500, or both (40-35-111(e)(2)).

Repeated incidents at one property

A 2025 law, Public Chapter 510, added subsection (f) to Tenn. Code Ann. 29-3-101, the nuisance statute. Under it, "the occurrence of any of the circumstances described in subdivision (f)(2), or any combination thereof, is prima facie evidence of a nuisance per se." Among the terms the act defines, an "assaultive charge" is defined to mean "a warrant or citation has been issued or a grand jury has returned a true bill" for a violation of a list of offenses that includes 39-17-305, the disorderly conduct statute. The act took effect July 1, 2025. For assaultive charges, that evidence is established when an officer or person named in 29-3-102 notifies the property owner in writing of three or more unrelated incidents within 24 months on the same parcel that result in assaultive charges, and, after the owner receives the notice and within 24 months of the first of those incidents, another unrelated incident occurs that results in an assaultive charge (29-3-101(f)(2)(C)). The same act amended 29-3-110: if a nuisance found under 29-3-101(f) continues with another such incident after an order of abatement, a court may require the person subject to the earlier order to pay statutory damages of $1,000 to $50,000 to any owner of real property in the same zip code who files a claim that the nuisance damaged the owner's property value.

Car stereos, mufflers and horns

Tenn. Code Ann. 55-8-193 sets a distance test for car stereos:

"(a) No person operating or occupying a motor vehicle on any public street, highway, alley, parking lot, or driveway shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system ... so that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet (50') or more from the vehicle. ... (c) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine only of up to fifty dollars ($50.00)."

The rule applies to the operator and to occupants, and on a parking lot or driveway as well as a public street. The penalty is a fine only, up to $50.

The muffler statute, Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-202, provides:

"(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any road, street or highway unless the motor vehicle is equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke. (b) It is unlawful to use a 'muffler cutout' on any motor vehicle upon any road, street or highway. (c) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor."

The section sets no decibel number; the test is "excessive or unusual noise."

For horns, Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-201(a) makes it unlawful "for any person at any time to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning or to make any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device." Except as the section provides, it also bars any vehicle from being equipped with, and any person from using on a vehicle, "any siren, exhaust, compression or spark plug whistle." A violation of the section is a Class C misdemeanor.

The section was amended in 2025. Public Chapter 143 added a new subsection providing that "the prohibition in subsection (a) does not apply to a privately owned antique emergency vehicle registered under s 55-4-111; provided, that any equipped bell, siren, or exhaust whistle is representative of the era when the antique emergency vehicle was manufactured."

Boats

The exhaust of every internal combustion engine used on a vessel "shall be effectively muffled by a muffling device or system to muffle the noise of the exhaust" (Tenn. Code Ann. 69-9-301). No person may operate a vessel on Tennessee waters so that it exceeds 86 dBA measured at a distance of 50 feet from the vessel (69-9-302(a)), and "the use of cutouts is prohibited" (69-9-304(b)). A violation is a Class C misdemeanor (69-9-219(a)), which carries not more than 30 days or a fine of up to $50, or both (40-35-111(e)(3)).

Who sets quiet hours in Tennessee?

Your city or county does. The state rules above cover unreasonable noise that prevents others from carrying on lawful activities, car sound systems audible at 50 feet, and mufflers. None of the state statutes on this page sets quiet hours, construction hours or a decibel limit for homes, so those rules come from local ordinances. Your city or county code's penalty section states the penalty it applies, within the limits below.

In state park campgrounds, a state rule sets quiet hours: "Quiet shall be maintained in all campgrounds between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m." (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-02-02-.05(7)). Another rule prohibits operating audio devices, generators or other motor-driven equipment "in such a manner and at such times so as to unreasonably annoy persons in campgrounds, picnic areas, lodges, or at other public places or gatherings" (0400-02-02-.03(1)).

City and county powers and penalty limits

A city incorporated under the mayor-aldermen general law charter may "define, prohibit, abate, suppress, prevent and regulate all acts, practices, conduct, businesses, occupations, callings, trades, uses of property and all other things whatsoever detrimental, or liable to be detrimental, to the health, morals, comfort, safety, convenience or welfare of the inhabitants of the municipality, and exercise general police powers" (Tenn. Code Ann. 6-2-201(22)).

A county may exercise that power by a resolution passed by a two-thirds vote of its legislative body, and the power applies "only within the unincorporated areas" (5-1-118(c)(1)). Counties are not granted "the power to prohibit or regulate normal agricultural activities" (5-1-118(b)).

State law also caps local penalties. Home rule cities may set maximum penalties of 30 days in jail or monetary penalties up to $500, or both (6-54-306(a)), and other cities may set a monetary penalty of up to $500 for each ordinance violation (6-54-308(a)). A municipal court may enforce an ordinance that mirrors a state criminal statute only if the state offense is a Class C misdemeanor and the ordinance's maximum penalty "is a civil fine not in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00)," with exceptions for certain driving and alcohol offenses in larger cities (16-18-302(a)(2), (b)).

Finding your city or county noise ordinance

Look up your city's code of ordinances, or your county's if you live outside city limits, and search it for "noise." Check for quiet hours, any decibel or "plainly audible" standard, construction-hour limits and the penalty section. For noise happening right now, the usual contact is the police department or sheriff's office non-emergency line. For a recurring problem, the city or county code enforcement office is the usual contact.

Shooting ranges

Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-316 shields sport shooting ranges from noise claims:

"(b)(1) A person who operates or uses a sport shooting range is not subject to civil or criminal liability for noise or noise pollution, nuisance or any other claim not involving physical injury to another human, resulting from the operation or use of the sport shooting range as a sport shooting range if the sport shooting range is in compliance with any applicable noise control laws, resolutions, ordinances or regulations issued by a unit of local government, that applied to the range at the time that the range began operation."

The shield depends on compliance with the local noise rules "that applied to the range at the time that the range began operation," and it does not limit civil liability for compensatory damages arising from physical injury to another person, to tangible personal property, or to fixtures or structures placed on real property (39-17-316(b)(5)). A complying range is also not subject to a nuisance, abatement or other action that would limit or enjoin its use as a range (39-17-316(b)(2)). State agency decibel rules are also set aside: "Rules or regulations adopted by any state department or agency for limiting levels of noise in terms of decibel level that may occur in the outdoor atmosphere shall not apply to a sport shooting range exempted from liability under this section" (39-17-316(b)(4)). A range open to the public that began operation after July 1, 2004, with no local zoning rules affecting its establishment when it opened, is not protected by the nuisance exemptions "until one (1) year after the date the sport shooting range begins operation" (39-17-316(d)).

Farms and right to farm

Tennessee's right-to-farm statute works through a presumption. Tenn. Code Ann. 43-26-103(a) provides:

"(a) It is a rebuttable presumption that a farm or farm operation is not a public or private nuisance. The presumption created by this subsection (a) may be overcome only if the person claiming a public or private nuisance establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that either: (1) The farm operation, based on expert testimony, does not conform to generally accepted agricultural practices; or (2) The farm or farm operation alleged to cause the nuisance does not comply with any applicable statute or rule, including without limitation statutes and rules administered by the department of agriculture or the department of environment and conservation."

What can you do about a noisy neighbor?

For noise happening now, call the police or sheriff's non-emergency line. Officers can apply the local noise ordinance, and the state disorderly conduct statute where the noise is unreasonable and prevents others from carrying on lawful activities (39-17-305(b)). For a recurring problem, contact the city or county code enforcement office. Whether a particular noise problem supports a private nuisance lawsuit is a question for a lawyer licensed in Tennessee.

For highway noise, a 2026 law lets a county or city, by resolution of its legislative body, ask the Tennessee Department of Transportation for a highway traffic noise study for homes along a state highway where a tree zone behind them was removed for reasons unrelated to highway construction and there is no existing shielding or noise barrier. If the department approves, the study is not done until the requesting county or city pays its cost (Public Chapter 1000, 2026).

If you rent, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, which "applies only in counties having a population of more than seventy-five thousand (75,000)" (66-28-102(a)), requires a tenant to "act and require other persons on the premises, with the tenant's or other occupants' consent, to act in a manner that will not disturb the neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of the premises" (66-28-401(5)). For a material noncompliance, a landlord may deliver a written notice specifying the breach (66-28-505(a)(1)); if the breach cannot be remedied by paying rent, repair costs, damages or another amount due, the notice may state that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than 14 days after the tenant receives it (66-28-505(a)(3)). Your lease also matters; see our guide to Tennessee landlord-tenant laws. For fireworks, see our guide to Tennessee fireworks laws.

Related pages

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• Tennessee landlord-tenant laws
• Tennessee fireworks laws
• Kentucky noise ordinance laws
• Georgia noise ordinance laws

This article provides general legal information about Tennessee law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Tennessee or your city or county government.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the noise laws in Tennessee?

Making unreasonable noise that prevents others from carrying on lawful activities is disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor (Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-305). Car stereos may not be plainly audible at 50 feet or more (55-8-193), and vehicles need a working muffler (55-9-202). Quiet hours and decibel limits for homes come from city and county ordinances.

What are the quiet hours in Tennessee?

Quiet hours for homes are set by your city or county ordinance; none of the state statutes on this page sets them. Check your local code of ordinances for the hours and any decibel limit. In state park campgrounds, state rules require quiet between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-02-02-.05(7)).

What is the fine for a noise violation in Tennessee?

Disorderly conduct by unreasonable noise is a Class C misdemeanor, which carries not more than 30 days or a fine not to exceed $50, or both (Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-305(c), 40-35-111(e)(3)). A local ordinance violation carries the penalty that ordinance sets, within state limits: home rule cities may set up to 30 days or up to $500, or both, and other cities up to $500 per violation (6-54-306(a), 6-54-308(a)).

How loud can car music be in Tennessee?

A sound amplification system in a vehicle on a public street, highway, alley, parking lot or driveway may not be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet or more from the vehicle. A violation is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine only of up to $50 (Tenn. Code Ann. 55-8-193).

Is a loud exhaust illegal in Tennessee?

A motor vehicle must have a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke, and a muffler cutout is unlawful on any road, street or highway. A violation is a Class C misdemeanor (Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-202).

Can neighbors sue a shooting range over noise in Tennessee?

A range that complied with the local noise rules that applied when it began operating is not subject to civil or criminal liability for noise, nuisance or any other claim not involving physical injury to another person (Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-316(b)(1)). The section does not limit damages for physical injury to a person, to personal property, or to fixtures or structures (39-17-316(b)(5)), and a public range that opened after July 1, 2004 with no local zoning rules in place is not protected until one year after it began operating (39-17-316(d)).

Can I complain about noise from a farm in Tennessee?

A farm or farm operation is presumed not to be a public or private nuisance. The presumption is overcome only if the person claiming a nuisance proves the operation does not conform to generally accepted agricultural practices, based on expert testimony, or does not comply with an applicable statute or rule (Tenn. Code Ann. 43-26-103(a)).