Austin, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Base decibel cap
- 85 dB, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.-midnight
- Restaurant/lounge cap
- 70 dB under Sec. 25-2-808 venues
- Governing section
- Austin City Code Sec. 9-2-30
- Permit required
- Outdoor Music Venue permit, Sec. 9-2-39
- Measurement
- Music-Office-approved decibel meter
- Enforcement
- Class C misdemeanor, up to $500 fine
Summary
Bars and clubs running outdoor sound equipment need an Outdoor Music Venue permit under Austin City Code Sec. 9-2-30, which caps sound at up to 85 decibels on a district- and time-of-week schedule, dropping to 70 decibels for venues operating as a restaurant or cocktail lounge.
(A)Unless a more restrictive decibel limit is required by a sound impact plan, a condition in an outdoor music venue permit, or by another provision of this code, sound equipment for which a permit has been issued under Subpart B (Live Music Permits) may be operated at the following decibel levels:(1)Up to 85 decibels between 10:00 a.m. and:(a)10:30 p.m. on Sunday through Wednesday;(b)11:00 p.m. on Thursday; or(c)12:00 midnight on Friday, Saturday, or the night before New Year's Day.(2)Up to 85 decibels at an outdoor music venue with an occupancy capacity of 600 or fewer people located in the Warehouse District or Sixth Street District, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.(3)Up to 85 decibels during the spring festival season, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m....(B)In addition to the requirements of Subsection (A) of this section, use of sound equipment at an outdoor music venue is:(1)limited to 70 decibels if the venue is associated with a restaurant (general) use, as prescribed under Section 25-2-808 (Restaurants and Cocktail Lounges), and the hours of operation prescribed under Subsection (A) of this section;
Full Breakdown
Austin City Code Sec. 9-2-30 sets the decibel ceiling for any Outdoor Music Venue permit issued under Chapter 9-2, Article 2, Division 3. The base rule allows up to 85 decibels starting at 10:00 a.m. and running until 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11:00 p.m. Thursday, or midnight Friday, Saturday, and the night before New Year's Day. Venues in the Warehouse District or Sixth Street District with an occupancy of 600 or fewer may run 85 decibels until 2:00 a.m., as can any venue during the defined spring festival season, and the Red River Cultural District gets its own extended late-night hours on the same 85-decibel cap.
Subsection (B) layers on a stricter limit for bars and clubs operating as a restaurant (general) use under Sec. 25-2-808, Restaurants and Cocktail Lounges: those venues are capped at 70 decibels during the same permitted hours, and venues in a Commercial Recreation zoning district must instead follow the decibel limits set in Sec. 25-2-583. Sec. 9-2-30(C) requires all measurements to use a decibel meter approved by the City's Music Office. Operating an Outdoor Music Venue at all requires a permit under Sec. 9-2-39, with neighbor notice, a music-office investigation, and an appeal process, and the accountable official can deny a permit renewal for repeated decibel violations under Sec. 9-2-62.
Violations & Fines
Operating an Outdoor Music Venue above its permitted decibel level, or without the required permit, is enforced as a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 9-2-3(D), fine up to $500, with no intent requirement. Beyond the criminal fine, the accountable official can deny a permit renewal application under Sec. 9-2-62 based on a history of repeated decibel-limit violations at the venue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a bar's outdoor music be in Austin?
Do restaurants and cocktail lounges get a lower decibel limit?
What happens if a club exceeds its decibel limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Austin
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Austin to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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