Charleston, WV Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- Sec. 78-201
- Who's liable
- Owner, operator, or employee
- Covers
- Hotels, motels, restaurants, taverns
- Fine range
- $10 to $500
- Max jail
- 30 days
Summary
Charleston makes it illegal for the owner, operator, or employee of any hotel, motel, restaurant, tavern, or other place open to the public to let patrons disturb others through boisterous conduct or unreasonably loud noise meant to annoy or alarm neighbors.
It shall be unlawful for any owner, operator or employee of any hotel, motel, restaurant, tavern or other place frequented by the public to permit any disturbance of the peace of others by violent, profane, indecent or boisterous conduct or language or by the making of unreasonably loud noise that is intended to cause annoyance or alarm to another person.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 78-201, bar, tavern, and nightclub operators and their staff carry a direct legal duty to keep patrons from disturbing the peace with violent, profane, indecent, or boisterous conduct or unreasonably loud noise intended to cause annoyance or alarm. This puts liability on the business itself, not just the individual patron making noise, so a bar that lets crowds spill outside yelling or blasting music can be cited under this section separately from the patron. It sits alongside the citywide noise-control ordinance but targets the proprietor's duty to manage disturbances tied to the establishment.
Violations & Fines
General Code penalty (Sec. 1-8): fine of $10 to $500, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both; each continuing day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar owner be cited for a noisy crowd outside?
Does this apply to nightclubs specifically?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston
Compare Charleston to another location·View the West Virginia noise from specific sources overview
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