Lincoln, NE Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit (7am-10pm)
- 60 dB(A) at property line
- Nighttime limit (10pm-7am)
- 50 dB(A) at property line
- Enforcing agency
- Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
- Max penalty
- $500 fine and 6 months jail
- Permitted events
- May get custom agreed limits
Summary
Bars and nightclubs playing amplified music or DJ sets in Lincoln must keep sound below 60 dB(A) at a residential property line by day and 50 dB(A) at night, enforced under the citywide sound-amplifier noise rule.
Operating, playing, or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or similar device which produces, reproduces, or amplifies sound in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or within a noise-sensitive zone... The standards are 60 db(a), maximum three minute Leq, for the time period 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and 50 db(a), maximum three minute Leq, for the time period 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Lincoln Municipal Code § 8.24.090(a)(1) makes it unlawful to operate a sound amplifier, radio, drum, or musical instrument so loudly that it creates a noise disturbance across a residential property boundary or inside a designated noise-sensitive zone. There is no separate bar or nightclub chapter; live music, DJ rigs, and PA systems at a bar are regulated under this same sound-amplifier provision, measured at the property line as 60 dB(A) (three-minute Leq) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dB(A) overnight. A public event holding a required permit can instead get its own agreed noise level and time limit set by the health officer. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department administers the chapter and investigates complaints.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both; each day the disturbance continues is a separate offense, and the city may also seek a nuisance abatement injunction under § 8.24.180.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lincoln have a noise ordinance specific to bars and nightclubs?
How loud can a nightclub's music be at the property line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lincoln
Compare Lincoln to another location·View the Nebraska noise from specific sources overview
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