Bloomington, IL Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 28-194
- Decibel limit
- 70 dB(A) at the receiving property line
- First-offense fine
- Not less than $100
- Repeat-offense fine
- Not less than $250
- Proof method
- Witness testimony or decibel-meter reading
Summary
In the City of Bloomington, any bar, nightclub or other premises that projects loud and raucous noise onto neighboring property violates City Code § 28-194, whether the complaint is proven by witness testimony or by a decibel meter. Amplified sound crossing the property line above 70 dB(A), measured with A-weighting, is itself a violation, punished by a $100 fine for a first offense and $250 for every repeat.
It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, cause to be made or continued, or allow to be made, any loud and raucous noise emanating, transmitting, broadcasting, or projected from any public or private location or premises occupied by or under the person's ownership or control at the time the noise is produced. ... No person shall make, continue, or cause to be made or continued or to allow to be made on premises under the person's ownership or control any continuous, predictable or recurring source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound pressure level, measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting network, at or within the property limits of the receiving property which exceeds (70)dB(A). ... Any person ... found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $100 for the first offense and not less than $250 for any subsequent offense.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 28-194, adopted by Ordinance No. 2013-39 and amended in 2024, is Bloomington's general noise ordinance, and it governs sound from bars and nightclubs the same way it governs any other source. Subsection C bars anyone from making, continuing or allowing loud and raucous noise emanating from a location under their ownership or control, and lets the City prove a violation either through witness testimony about what neighbors heard or through recorded decibel readings, so a bar operator cannot avoid liability just because no meter was on scene.
Subsection D lists sound-amplification devices, specifically musical instruments, loudspeakers and sound amplifiers, as an illustrative example of a prohibited use whenever they are played louder than necessary for voluntary listeners in the room or disturb the peace of neighboring inhabitants. Subsection E adds an objective decibel ceiling on top of that: no continuous or recurring source of sound on the premises may exceed 70 dB(A), measured at or within the receiving property's limits on a sound level meter using the American National Standards Institute's A-weighting network.
A handful of exemptions in Subsection F, covering emergency repairs, permitted outdoor festivals and City-sponsored events, do not extend to ordinary bar or nightclub operations. A first conviction is fined not less than $100, and every subsequent offense not less than $250, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
A first conviction under § 28-194 is fined not less than $100; every subsequent conviction is fined not less than $250, and each day the noise continues counts as its own offense. Liability attaches whether the City proves the violation through neighbor testimony about the noise or through a decibel-meter reading showing the sound exceeded 70 dB(A) at the property line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bloomington set a decibel limit for bar noise?
Can a noise complaint be proven without a decibel meter?
What is the fine for a bar's first noise violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
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