Evanston, IL Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger distance
- 150 feet of residential property
- Regulated devices
- Loudspeakers, amplifiers, paging systems
- Applies to
- Sound reaching a public way
Summary
Bars, clubs, and other venues in Evanston cannot run loudspeakers or amplifiers loud enough to carry onto a public way within 150 feet of residential property.
Location Within One Hundred Fifty Feet of Residentially Zoned Property: The operating of, or permitting to be operated, any receiving set, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifier, paging system or other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sounds in such a manner that distinct and loudly audible noises are emitted upon or proximate to a public way, which public way is within one hundred fifty (150) feet of property used for residential purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 9-5-20(F)(2) bars operating any receiving set, loudspeaker, sound amplifier, or paging system so that distinct, loudly audible noise is emitted onto or near a public way within 150 feet of residentially zoned property. A related subsection further restricts amplified advertising sound between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekends. This is the provision that reaches bar and nightclub speaker noise bleeding into nearby residential blocks.
Violations & Fines
Operating a loudspeaker or amplifier audible on a public way within 150 feet of residential property violates § 9-5-20(F)(2); Evanston's general noise-ordinance penalties apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar in Evanston run outdoor speakers near houses?
Are there curfew hours for bar or venue amplified sound?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evanston
Compare Evanston to another location·View the Illinois noise from specific sources overview
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle bar & nightclub noise.