Garland, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Sound cap
- 100 dBA at customer-occupied point
- Meter setting
- Slow response on sound level meter
- Exception
- Posted hearing-impairment warning sign
- Enforcement
- City Health Department, § 22.77
- Penalty
- Up to $2,000 per day, § 10.05
Summary
Garland caps sound inside any enclosed place of public entertainment, including bars and nightclubs, at 100 dBA measured where customers normally stand. A venue can exceed that cap only if it posts a conspicuous warning sign at every public entrance stating the sound levels may cause permanent hearing impairment.
Enclosed places of public entertainment. Operating or permitting to be operated in any place of public entertainment any loudspeaker or other source of sound which produces, at a point that is normally occupied by the customer, maximum sound pressure levels of one hundred (100) dbA as read with the slow response on a sound level meter, unless a conspicuous and legible sign is posted near each public entrance stating: "WARNING: SOUND LEVELS WITHIN MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT." This provision shall not be construed to allow the operation of any loudspeaker or other source of sound in such a manner as to violate the sound levels as listed in section 22.69.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862189; v40 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
70(A)(6) of the Code of Ordinances, within Article V, Noise Control, defines "enclosed places of public entertainment" as a specific noise violation: operating any loudspeaker or other sound source that produces maximum sound pressure levels of 100 dBA, read with the slow response setting on a sound level meter, at a point normally occupied by a customer. 69 for the surrounding property, so a bar in a mixed-use strip still has to keep its exterior bleed from crossing into a neighboring residential boundary at the levels that article sets. 78, issue a notice of violation, an abatement order, or a class C misdemeanor citation for exceeding the cap without the required signage.
Violations & Fines
Operating an enclosed entertainment venue above 100 dBA without the required warning sign is a class C misdemeanor punished under the Code's general penalty, Section 10.05, fining public-health violations up to $2,000 with each day of continued operation a separate offense. Health Department inspectors take the reading with the sound meter's slow response setting at a customer-occupied point before citing a venue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a Garland nightclub be inside?
Can a bar avoid the 100 dBA cap by posting a sign?
Who investigates a loud nightclub complaint in Garland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Garland to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle bar & nightclub noise.