Sec. 19-121. Definitions
Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 19-121 (2026)
Sec. 19-121. DefinitionsLinkCopy Citation
(a)
For the purposes of this Division, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this Section:
(1)
Commercial means anything other than a residential zone or industrial zone as set forth in Subtitle 27.
(1.1)
Construction means temporary activities directly associated with site preparation, assembly, erection, repair, alteration, or demolition of structures or roadways.
(2)
dBA means decibels of sound, as determined by the A-weighting network of a sound level meter or by calculation from octave band or one-third octave band data.
(2.1)
dBC means decibels of sound, as determined by the C-weighting network of a sound level meter or by calculation from octave band or one-third octave band data.
(3)
Daytime means the hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(4)
Decibel means a unit of measure equal to 10 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of a particular sound pressure squared to the standard reference pressure squared. The standard reference pressure is 20 micropascals.
(5)
Department shall mean the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement or another authorized designee agency or department.
(6)
Director shall mean the Director of the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement for Prince George's County, Maryland, or their authorized designee.
(7)
Enforcement officer means:
(A)
for a noise originating from any source:
(i)
an employee or agent of the Department designated by the Director to enforce this Division;
(ii)
a police officer; or
(B)
for a noise originating from an animal source, the Director of the Animal Control Division or the Director's authorized designee within the Department of the Environment.
(7.1)
Industrial Zone means any property that has been zoned industrial.
(8)
Landlord shall mean the person who manages, leases, holds, or otherwise controls the property of an owner.
(9)
Nighttime means the hours from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
(10)
Noise means sound, created or controlled by human activity, from one or more sources, heard by an individual over a period of time.
(11)
Noise disturbance means any noise that is:
(A)
unpleasant, annoying, offensive, loud, or obnoxious;
(B)
unusual for the time of day or location where it is produced or heard;
(C)
detrimental to the health, comfort, quality of life, or safety of any individual or to the reasonable enjoyment of property or the lawful conduct of business because of the loudness, duration, or character of the noise or;
(D)
exceeds the objective standards of this Division.
(12)
Noise-suppression plan means a written plan to use the most effective noise-suppression equipment, materials, and methods appropriate and reasonably available for a particular type of construction.
(13)
Owner shall mean the person listed on the tax records of the County as the property owner.
(14)
Person means an individual, group of individuals, corporation, firm, partnership, or voluntary association; or a department, bureau, agency, or instrument of the County or any municipality, or of any other government to the extent allowed by law.
(15)
Police Chief or officer shall mean the Chief of the Prince George's County Police Department, a sworn member of the Prince George's County Police Department, or their authorized designee.
(16)
Receiving property means any real property where people live or work and where noise is heard, including an apartment, condominium unit, or cooperative building unit.
(17)
Residential means any property in a residential zone as set forth in Subtitle 27.
(18)
Residential area is an area located within a residential or rural and agricultural zone listed in Subtitle 27 of this Code, including residential areas abutting Transit-Oriented/Activity Center zones and mixed-use, commercial, and industrial areas as defined in Subtitle 27.
(19)
Recreational or Entertainment Establishment is an establishment as defined in Subtitle 27 of this Code.
(20)
Sound means an auditory sensation evoked by the oscillation of air pressure.
(21)
Source means any person, installation, device, or animal causing or contributing to noise.