No Wailing After 2: Arlington Bans Late Night Noise

• May 12th 2014

by Lark Turner

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Arlington County’s noise ordinance got an update on Saturday that could leave late-night revelers howling in protest.

The new ordinance, which goes into effect July 1, bans “yelling, wailing, shouting or screaming” between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the city’s mixed-use neighborhoods, many of which are filled with popular nightlife spots. In those neighborhoods, it also puts any group of four or more people making noise between midnight and 9 a.m. in violation of the law if neighbors at least 100 feet away can hear it.

A review of the ordinance was prompted after the state Supreme Court said a Virginia Beach ordinance that relied on what a “reasonable person” would find too loud was unconstitutional.

The cost of the fines for violating the ordinance are going up, too. The Washington Post reported that criminal fines will now start at $100, up from $25, and max out at $2,500. First-time civil fines were raised to $250.

The rules vary based on where Arlington County residents live, and you can find out how your neighborhood is affected by reading the ordinance. Some neighbors said the language didn’t go far enough, ARLNow reported. “Arlington is a suburb, not a city,” wrote one resident in a letter of protest to the board.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/arlington_county_bans_wailing_after_2_a.m._loud_parties_after_midnight/8475.