Parma, OH Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Interior limit
- 95 dBA without warning sign
- Sign requirement
- posted at every public entrance
- Residential boundary limit
- 50 dBB, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances 634.03(b)
- Base penalty
- minor misdemeanor per day
Summary
Parma caps amplified sound in bars, clubs, and other places of public entertainment at 95 dBA where customers stand, unless a hearing-damage warning sign is posted at every entrance, and at 50 dBB measured at nearby residential property lines between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
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 any place of public entertainment at a sound level greater than 95 dBA as read by the slow response on a sound level meter at any point that is normally occupied by a customer, unless a conspicuous and legible sign is located outside such place, near each public entrance, stating “WARNING: SOUND LEVELS WITHIN MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT;”... 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 any place of public entertainment at a sound level greater than 50 dBB as read by the slow response on a sound level meter when measured at or within the property boundary of residentially zoned land, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. of the following day;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
Codified Ordinances Section 634.03(b) sets two numeric limits on amplified sound at any place of public entertainment, defined in Section 634.01(16) as a commercial facility open to the public for entertainment. First, operating a radio, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, or sound amplifier at a level above 95 dBA, measured by slow response at any point normally occupied by a customer, is prohibited unless the establishment posts a conspicuous, legible warning sign at every public entrance reading that sound levels inside may cause permanent hearing impairment.
Second, regardless of signage, amplified sound may not exceed 50 dBB measured at or within the boundary of nearby residentially zoned land between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. the following day, protecting neighbors during nighttime hours specifically. This second limit uses the B-weighted scale defined in Section 634.01(1.5), a different measurement than the A-weighted dBA used inside the venue. The provision, dating to Ordinance 367-88, applies on top of the general noise-disturbance and maximum-permissible sound-level rules in Sections 634.02 and 634.04, giving police three overlapping standards to enforce against a loud bar or club.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding either sound limit in Section 634.03(b) without the required signage or during restricted nighttime hours is a minor misdemeanor, or a fourth-degree misdemeanor if willful or knowing, under Section 634.03(m), with each day of continued violation charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a bar play music inside in Parma?
Is there a nighttime noise limit for bars near homes in Parma?
What happens if a Parma nightclub exceeds the noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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