Midwest City, OK Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Amplified sound cap
- 90 dBA at patron location
- Sign exception
- warning sign within 5 ft of entrance
- Still bound by
- § 26-6 zoning noise limits
- Enforcement
- municipal court complaint, § 26-9
Summary
Bars, clubs and other venues open to patrons can't run amplified sound above 90 dBA at a customer's seat without posting a hearing-damage warning sign at every entrance.
Operating, or permitting to be operated in any place of public entertainment during any hour of operation when patrons or customers may be expected, any loudspeaker or sound amplifier which produces, reproduces or amplifies sound, at a point normally to be occupied by a patron or customer, equal to or in excess of ninety (90) dBA as read on a sound level meter at slow response, unless a conspicuous, legible sign, readable by a person with 20/20 vision at a distance within ten (10) feet of it, is posted at or within five (5) feet of each public entrance and not more than five (5) feet above the level of the ground, floor, or other entrance threshold, which sign shall state: "WARNING: SOUND LEVELS WITHIN MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT"
This provision shall not be construed to allow the operation of such loudspeaker or sound amplifier in such manner as to violate paragraph (11) below or section 26-6.
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
Midwest City Code § 26-4(10) bars any place of public entertainment from operating a loudspeaker or sound amplifier that hits 90 dBA or more, measured at slow response where a patron would normally sit or stand, during hours patrons are expected, unless a conspicuous sign reading "WARNING: SOUND LEVELS WITHIN MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT" is posted within 5 feet of every public entrance. Even with the sign, the level still can't violate the general community sound standards in § 26-6 or the zoning-district limits in the § 26-12 Table I (55 dBA daytime / 50 dBA nighttime at a residential boundary, 60/55 dBA commercial), so a club can't post a sign and blast without limit. Enforcement runs through the city's general noise-violation procedure in § 26-9.
Violations & Fines
Complaint filed with municipal court under § 26-9; each continuous disturbance is one offense, each non-continuous incident a separate offense per § 26-10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Midwest City bar avoid the 90 dBA cap just by posting a sign?
Does this rule apply to a bar just across the line in Oklahoma City or Del City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Midwest City
Compare Midwest City to another location·View the Oklahoma noise from specific sources overview
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle bar & nightclub noise.