The Raleigh City Council passed a new sound ordinance last October, targeting the Glenwood South District. The ordinance took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and requires businesses to observe mandated quiet hours.
The ordinance typically allows between 80 decibels and 88 decibels from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., then drops to between 75 decibels and 80 decibels from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. The ordinance allows for more flexible restrictions during the hours of 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Jonathan Lambert-Melton, a Raleigh City Council member at-large, said the reason for this new noise ordinance is to keep up with Raleigh as the city grows and develops.
“We’ve been trying to find a way to regulate the noise so that folks nearby feel comfortable, but also so that the bars and restaurant owners can still provide social spaces for folks who want to go out and dance and drink and have a good time,” Lambert-Melton said.
The Raleigh City Council brought in an expert consultant who created the outdoor amplified noise rules for Austin, Texas, to spend several weeks with Raleigh bar and restaurant owners to craft a plan that would work for the City of Raleigh, Lambert-Melton said.
“[The consultant] gave us a set of guidelines that he suggested that we use, and that’s what we’ve adopted,” Lambert-Melton said. “What it does now is it sets if this is only for outdoor amplified noise, and it sets measurable levels city-wide, and then there’s a special amount that is allowed in our entertainment district, which is Glenwood South. So Glenwood South’s allowed to be a bit louder.”
Shortly after the ordinance went into effect, Super Rad Retro Lounge, a bar and arcade located in the Glenwood South District, put out a statement sharing its frustration, addressing what it described as increasing restrictions on local nightlife. The Instagram post questioned why residents who moved to the downtown area would complain about noise levels in a known entertainment district and criticized inconsistent enforcement.
“ … Even a small bar like us has trouble staying at 80 dB outside, even with the music turned down — we measured,” the statement read. It also pointed to louder street activity, including motorcycles and other noise sources, that seemingly go unregulated.
Steve Olson, owner of Super Rad Retro Lounge, said the noise ordinance could be seen as a way to accommodate and calm nearby residents, and that the city was trying to make all sides happy.
“I’m not sure if Raleigh knows exactly what it’s trying to be. I think it’s trying to be a little bit of everything. It’s trying to be a little family-friendly, a little fun. It’s starting to accommodate all sides all the time, and that’s just an impossible task, because when you do that, you end up with most people not being happy,” Olson said.
The Raleigh City Council has been through multiple variations of its noise ordinance rules. Lambert-Melton said these variations may cause anxiety for businesses, but that is not their intention.
“This is our second, maybe third time, adjusting the noise ordinance, and every time we do it, there’s general anxiety and agitation,” Lambert-Melton said. “I think folks think we’re trying to turn off the music, and that is not the case. And obviously, bar and restaurant owners are dependent on folks wanting to come to their establishment, have a good time and it’s not any fun to go somewhere that’s quiet and silent.”
Olson said that while the ordinance does not affect Super Rad Retro Lounge directly, as they opened following the announcement of this noise ordinance variation, giving them time to prepare accordingly, the restrictions could have a major impact on the identity and culture of the city and nightlife.
“It’s an important thing for people to socialize, to go out and have fun, to be with friends, to make friends and to make relationships,” Olson said. “It’s an important thing that is central to humanity, to society. And when you start to put limits on that, and caps on that and create restrictions around that, to satisfy any small percentage of homeowners that are directly around bars that have complaints, you’re using a big solution to a small problem.”
Olson said this ordinance could be seen as Raleigh trying to stifle nightlife when they should be promoting it.
“[Raleigh should] not try to stifle nightlife, [they should] try to promote it in a safe way, a healthy way, a way that can help Raleigh ditch this attitude or this reputation of being boring,” Olson said. “You can come to Raleigh to enjoy your night with friends and find new places that you enjoy. That doesn’t mean the city has to try to push back the limit and cut down on the space available to nightlife.”
Lambert-Melton emphasized the creation of the new noise ordinance as a way to maintain a safe and fun environment rather than a way to punish business owners.
“I’m one of the younger folks on the council, and so I still go out on occasion. I certainly understand the need for a thriving entertainment scene in the city, and it’s certainly not my goal or anybody’s goal on council to quell a vibrant and fun entertainment district,” Lambert-Melton said. “We really just want it to be someplace that is safe and manageable, and I am certain that if Austin, Texas, can continue to be the fun and vibrant city that it is with similar rules, these rules will do well for Raleigh, too.”
