Noise Ordinance

A revision to the Town of Wake Forest's Noise Ordinance was approved by the Board of Commissioners on November 1, 2022. It can be found in the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, under Environment, Article III, Section 14-66 thru 14-75.

The following chart describes the days, times, and decibel levels allowed for certain activities:

Use

Noise Limits

Permit Allowed to exceed dB(A)*

Residential Use or Activity

Max 65dB(A)

No

Mixed Use, Residential

Max 65dB(A)

No

Non-Residential Use or Activity

Max 75dB(A)

Yes

* Sec. 14-71. Permit to Exceed Maximum Sound Levels

(a) An applicant may request, and the Planning Director or the Planning Director’s designee may grant, a permit for a nonresidential use or activity to exceed the maximum sound levels set out in paragraph (1) of section 14-70, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays only. No permit shall be issued for activities outside these time periods, no event to exceed 85 dba.

 

Civil penalty

Violation of this article shall subject the offender(s) to a civil penalty in the amount of 250.00. If there is more than one violation within any six-month period, then the civil penalty shall be increased for each additional violation over one during such period, as follows. The date of the first violation shall establish the beginning date for the initial six-month period. The next violation within that six-month period shall be considered the second violation. Any violations that follow within that six-month period shall be numbered sequentially. The penalty shall be:

  • (1) Second offense within same six-month period: $500.00.

  • (2) Third offense within same six-month period: $750.00.

  • (3) Fourth offense within same six-month period: $1,000.00.

  • (4) Fifth and any subsequent offense(s) within same six-month period: $2,000.00 per offense.

The complete ordinance can be found in the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, under Environment, Article III, Section 14-66 thru 14-75.

For more information, contact the Wake Forest Planning Department at 919-435-9510.

 

Permits – Sec 14-71 (only allowed for non-residential use)

Time Period
  • May apply for permit to exceed during the following:
    • Sunday – Thursday, 8 am–9 pm
    • Friday – Saturday, 8 am–10 pm
  • May not exceed six (6) hours in a 24-hour period
  • Permit may be issued for multiple days up to one year
Validity period
  • 365-day period
Level
  • Maximum of 85 dB(A)
Application must be submitted at least seven (7) days in advance
Cost of the application
  • $100
Turn-around for the review of a noise permit application
  • 7 days

 

How to Apply for a Permit

  1. Visit https://wakeforest.idtplans.com/secure/

  2. Select “Submit a Project for Review”

  3. Create an account

  4. County: Select the appropriate county (Wake or Franklin) from the dropdown list

  5. Application Category: Select “Planning/Development Services” from the dropdown list

  6. Application Type: Select “Noise Permit” 

 

Please Note 

  • Applications should be submitted at least seven (7) days in advance.

  • The application fee is $100.

Planning
919-435-9510
Location

Wake Forest Town Hall - Third Floor
301 S. Brooks St.
Wake Forest, NC 27587