Plano, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required to exceed
- Table 1 noise levels
- Extended-hours window
- 10 p.m.–11:59 p.m. Fri/Sat/NYE
- Permit term
- 3 years (5 with clean record)
- Distance from residential zone
- no permit within 100 ft
- Revocation trigger
- 2+ violations in 24 months
- Governing sections
- Code of Ordinances §§ 14-91, 14-91.1
Summary
A Plano bar or nightclub that wants to exceed the Table 1 noise limits must hold a city-council-approved entertainment venue permit, and even then may only run at commercial/industrial daytime decibel levels between 10:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and New Year's Eve, under Code of Ordinances §§ 14-91 and 14-91.1.
Sec. 14-91. - General. (a)A permit is required under this subpart in order to exceed specific noise levels found in subsection 14-87(a)(1) at entertainment venues and for application of a defense to prosecution pursuant to subsection 14-89(a)(11).(b)No entertainment venue permit will be granted for use within residential districts as defined by this article or within one hundred (100) feet of property zoned as a residential district as defined by this article at the time of permit approval. Sec. 14-91.1. - Decibel limits for entertainment venues. (a)Unless a more restrictive decibel limit is required by a condition in an entertainment venue permit, or by another provision of this article, venues for which a permit has been issued may operate at the following decibel levels:(1)In a commercial/mixed-use or industrial district, as defined by this article, daytime thresholds as prescribed in section 14-87 between 10:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, or the night before New Year's Day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 153).
Full Breakdown
Plano created a dedicated permitting track for bars, nightclubs, and other loud venues rather than folding them into the general defenses in § 14-89. Section 14-91 requires a permit before a venue may exceed the specific noise levels set in § 14-87(a)(1), bars any entertainment venue permit within a residential district or within 100 feet of one, and gives the city council authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny an application after review by the department and the planning and zoning commission; an approved permit runs three years, extendable to five years for holders with a clean violation record.
on Friday, Saturday, or the night before New Year's Day, and must keep noise-measurement records for each event for at least three years, open to department inspection on request. 5). 6), with a right of appeal to the city council within ten business days; a revoked venue's prior owner cannot get a new permit for twelve months. 8 fine schedule.
Violations & Fines
Operating an entertainment venue above Table 1 noise levels without a valid permit, or outside a permit's hours (limited to 10:00 p.m.–11:59 p.m. Friday, Saturday, or New Year's Eve) and its daytime-equivalent decibel condition, is prosecutable under § 14-86 with fines up to $500 per day under § 14-91.8. The department may also revoke the permit itself after two or more violations within 24 months under § 14-91.6, barring the same operator from a new permit for a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Plano nightclub play music louder than the standard noise limit?
Can a bar get an entertainment venue permit near a residential neighborhood?
How long does a Plano entertainment venue permit last?
What can get an entertainment venue permit revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plano
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Plano to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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