Fort Wayne, IN Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.
- Street/public place limit
- audible beyond 50 feet
- Fine range
- $150–$500 per offense
- Enforcement
- Fort Wayne Police Department
Summary
Fort Wayne bars can't run amplified music or loudspeakers loud enough to be plainly audible off-premises between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., or beyond 50 feet in a public street.
The operation of any such machine or device in a manner that produces sound plainly audible to a person with normal hearing: (1) From any place other than where the sound source is located when the machine or device is being operated between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.; or (2) From a distance greater than fifty (50) feet from the sound source of the machine or device when it is located in any public street or public place of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-60: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. G-19-26, passed 7-14-26, and Res. 83-19, passed 12-17-19 State legislation current through Legislative Service, 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 96.04(B) bans operating a loudspeaker, sound amplifier, musical instrument, or similar device from private or public property in a manner that produces sound plainly audible to a person with normal hearing from another place between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or audible more than 50 feet away when the source sits in a public street or public place. This covers PA systems, DJ rigs, and live bands at bars and nightclubs; there's a narrow exemption in § 96.05(H) for customary, incidental noise from a legally established business kept within a normal range. The Fort Wayne Police Department enforces the chapter under § 96.31.
Violations & Fines
Fine of $150 to $500 per offense under § 96.99(A); each day a violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar play amplified music after 10 p.m. in Fort Wayne?
Is there any exemption for normal bar noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Wayne
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