South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

We promote and protect the health of the public and the environment.

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Noise Control

South Carolina’s nuisance regulation does not address noise control. Noise control is considered a local issue in South Carolina. Consequently, DHEC has no regulatory authority to investigate or control noise in your neighborhood or community.

Some cities and towns in South Carolina have noise ordinances. To learn more about noise control or report a noise-related concern in your community, contact your city or county government or law enforcement agency.

Federal Noise Control Laws

Several federal regulations, including the Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978, address noise and its effects on public health. However, most federal funds to carry out these Acts were  eliminated in 1981.

The following federal agencies do take noise levels and complaints into account in regulating certain commercial facilities and vehicles:

• Airport noise: EPA
• Airplane, aircraft noise: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise
• Train, locomotive horn noise and vibration impacts: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
• Motor coach, bus, van, truck noise (Interstate transport): Federal Highway Administration's Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety

Workplace Noise

Occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related injury in the United States. For more information, see the CDC’s Workplace Safety and Health: Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention website.

Protect Your Hearing

Studies show that over 85 decibels of noise for long periods of time can cause gradual, permanent hearing loss.

What’s a decibel?

A decibel is a unit of measurement that describes the power or intensity of sound. On the decibel scale, a ‘0’ is the faintest sound the human ear can hear.

Protect your hearing from prolonged noise over 85 decibels. This could mean stepping away away from the source of the noise, lowering the volume, wearing earplugs or other protective gear, limiting the time you are around the sound, or covering your ears.

Examples of Sounds and Decibel Ranges

For more information on the effects noise can have on health, see the EPA’s website on noise pollution.

For more information on DHEC's General Sanitation program, contact us at (803) 896-0655.