Queen Creek, AZ Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Restaurants, hotels, dance halls, amusement venues
- Test 1
- Loud, unreasonable, or offensive to senses
- Test 2
- Disturbs slumber of nearby residents
- Test 3
- Interferes with quiet enjoyment of property
- Penalty
- Civil offense
- Adopted
- Ord. 764-21, Sept. 15, 2021
Summary
Restaurants, hotels, dance halls and other places of public amusement in Queen Creek cannot play music or sound that is loud, unreasonable or offensive, that disturbs sleep nearby, or that interferes with a neighbor's peaceful enjoyment of their property, a civil offense under Town Code Section 9-6-1.
It is unlawful for any person or entity owning, operating, or in control of any restaurant, hotel, dance hall, show, business, or any other place of public amusement, entertainment, or accommodation, to play or allow to be played or emitted any music or sound from musical instrument or instruments that: (i) is loud, unreasonable, excessive, or unreasonably offensive to the senses; (ii) unreasonably disturbs, disrupts, or interferes with the slumber of any person in a residence, hotel, or any similar place of accommodation; or (iii) unreasonably disturbs, disrupts, annoys, or interferes with the peaceful, comfortable, and quiet enjoyment of the life or property of any person. Violation of this Section is a Civil Offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 9-6-1 targets any person or entity owning, operating or controlling a restaurant, hotel, dance hall, show, business or any other place of public amusement, entertainment or accommodation. It is unlawful for such an establishment to play, or allow to be played or emitted, music or sound from musical instruments that meets any one of three tests: the sound is loud, unreasonable, excessive or unreasonably offensive to the senses; it unreasonably disturbs, disrupts or interferes with the slumber of a person in a residence, hotel or similar accommodation; or it unreasonably disturbs, disrupts, annoys or interferes with the peaceful, comfortable and quiet enjoyment of the life or property of any person.
Because the three prongs are stated in the disjunctive, a bar or nightclub does not need to hit every criterion, sound that keeps a nearby resident awake is enough on its own, independent of whether it is also objectively excessive in volume. , and its general unreasonable-noise catchall in Section 9-6-5, so a venue running late can be cited under whichever provision the facts fit. It was adopted with the rest of Article 9-6, Noise, by Ordinance 764-21 on September 15, 2021.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 9-6-1 is a civil offense, cited against the person or entity owning, operating or controlling the establishment. Because Section 9-6-9 assigns responsibility to whoever is in control of the property or business, an operator can be cited even where the noise comes from patrons, performers or sound equipment rather than the operator personally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Queen Creek bar be cited for music if no one complains about volume specifically?
Who gets cited when a nightclub's patrons are the noise source?
Does the bar noise rule apply only at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Queen Creek
Compare Queen Creek to another location·View the Arizona noise from specific sources overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle bar & nightclub noise.