City of Greenville looking to update noise ordinance

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - If you’re in downtown Greenville, you’ll want to watch your volume because it could cost you.

“One of the most popular complaints that we get from downtown residents and patrons is noise violations,” said Sgt. Johnathan Bragg with the Greenville Police Department.

To help address that, city leaders are looking at updating the noise ordinance that has already been in effect for years.

“The reason we have such a successful downtown is that we have office, retail, and residential, and everything else going on makes it vibrant. But that, of course, lays the foundation for some conflicts, from time to time,” Greenville Mayor Knox White said at a city council meeting.

On Monday, Greenville City Council took the first step in officially updating the ordinance, which would remove the requirement for a complaint to be made before a citation is given and reduce the distance at which decibels are measured.

“The officers will have more discretion in whether or not they can enforce the noise ordinance by a citation or a warning,” said Bragg.

If you get issued a citation for violating the noise ordinance, it could cost you up to $1,000 between fines and court fees.

The updated ordinance would go into effect 30 days after a final reading in front of the city council.

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