Fort Worth, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime cap
- 80 dBA, 7am-10pm
- Friday/Saturday extension
- 80 dBA until 2:00 a.m.
- Nighttime cap
- 70 dBA
- Applies to
- CBD, Panther Island, West 7th Village
- Enforced by
- Police & Code Compliance
- Max fine
- $500 per offense/day
Summary
Fort Worth lets bars, restaurants and music venues in the CBD, Panther Island and West 7th Village run louder and later than anywhere else in the city. Under City Code § 23-8(c)(1)c, the 80 dBA daytime ceiling that applies Sunday through Thursday extends until 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights before dropping to a 70 dBA overnight cap.
(c) Restrictions on decibel levels.
(1) Maximum sound levels. During the times and in the zoning districts (except for activities originating in industrial zoning districts) set out below, the activities that create a sound pressure level on the complainant's bounding real property line that exceeds the maximum allowable sound level (dBA) below are declared to be public nuisances:...c. “H” central business district, “PI” Panther Island and West 7th Village (per attached map). Sunday through Thursday Daytime 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. = 80 dBA Nighttime 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the following day = 70 dBA Friday through Saturday Daytime 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following day = 80 dBA
Full Breakdown
Fort Worth's noise ordinance sets three separate decibel schedules by zoning district, and the entertainment-district schedule in § 23-8(c)(1)c is the loosest in the city. All-residential districts cap out at 70 dBA daytime and 60 dBA nighttime, and ordinary nonresidential and mixed-use districts sit at 80/70 dBA. m. cutoff. Measurements are taken from the complainant's bounding property line over a minimum 30-second period, and the highest reading in that window controls. A separate provision at § 23-8(e)(4) goes even further for large venues: amplified sound from entertainment venues with a capacity of 1,000 or more persons located within PI Panther Island is exempt from the decibel limits entirely.
Outside that carve-out, code compliance and the police department enforce the decibel caps alongside the ordinance's catch-all ban on any noise, regardless of dBA reading, that disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities. A violation is a nuisance, and the city can seek injunctive relief on top of criminal fines.
Violations & Fines
A noise violation under § 23-8 is punishable by a fine of up to $500, with each occurrence, or each day a continuing violation persists, charged as a separate offense. The city can also pursue civil nuisance abatement or an injunction independent of any criminal prosecution. Police and code compliance officers enforce the decibel readings and can cite a venue without a meter reading if the noise disturbs a reasonable person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a West 7th bar play loud music past midnight on a Friday?
What decibel limit applies to a Panther Island nightclub on a Tuesday?
Are big concert venues on Panther Island exempt from the noise ordinance?
How does the city measure a noise complaint against a bar?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Fort Worth to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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