Minnetonka, MN Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)

The Minnetonka City Code does not set a decibel cap for bars. It works through the liquor license. Section 600.040, item 21, requires every applicant to submit a business plan, and that plan must list the hours and days of the week when live entertainment, dancing, or amplified music is allowed or provided. It must also describe the type of entertainment the applicant intends to offer and where on the premises it will be provided. Item 21(g) adds a sound and noise management plan that describes the purpose and location of sound equipment and the hours and days of the week that amplified music will be provided. Item 21(h) lets the City Council require other reasonable and pertinent information, and the applicant must promptly notify the licensing official in writing of any amendment to the plan.

The plan is not a one-time filing. Section 600.070, subdivision 15, puts a continuing duty on each licensee to notify the director of community development of any change in the facts required on the application, and failure to do so is cause for revocation or suspension. Under subdivision 2 the licensee answers for the conduct of the premises, and an employee's act counts as the licensee's act.

Outside the licensing rules, section 850.010 of the Minnetonka noise code applies to any bar. Playing a musical instrument or sound system so that it unreasonably disturbs a reasonable person of ordinary sensitivity is prohibited, and operation between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is prima facie evidence of a violation if plainly audible at the real property boundary of the building. Section 850.010(3) also bars a business from using loud speakers or sound amplifiers in a way that unreasonably disturbs a reasonable person. The community development director can issue an administrative permit under section 850.025 for a compelling need, with written notice to affected properties at least 14 calendar days before the activity starts.