San Antonio, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Entertainment-zone limit
- 85 dBA Leq, 2-hour continuous monitoring
- Measured from
- adjacent property under separate ownership
- First offense fine
- $100 to $500
- Intentional/reckless fine
- up to $2,000, min. $200-$300 repeat
- River Walk venues
- separate 72 dBA/80 dBC standard, Sec. 21-60
- Habitual violator
- equipment seizure after 3 violations in 12 months
Summary
San Antonio caps noise from entertainment-zoned property, the bars, nightclubs and live-music venues where amplified sound concentrates, at 85 decibels using the Leq averaging method, measured from an adjoining property under separate ownership. Sec. 21-52(a)(12) sets this ceiling well above the 63 to 72 dBA limits for residential, business and industrial zoning, but crossing it is still a citable noise nuisance under Chapter 21.
The making of noise which exceeds eighty-five (85) decibels using the Leq method of noise measure for noise emanating from entertainment zoned property as defined by chapter 35 (Unified Development Code), when measured from property under separate ownership. Any adjacent property owned, leased, controlled or managed by any person or entity or any affiliate that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or shares common control with the other entity that has an ownership interest or lease interest in the monitored property shall not be considered property under separate ownership for purposes of determining the boundaries of the noise source property in an entertainment district.
Full Breakdown
Section 21-52(a)(12) of the San Antonio Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful for noise from entertainment-zoned property, as defined in Chapter 35 (Unified Development Code), to exceed 85 decibels using the Leq method when measured from property under separate ownership. Leq is defined in Sec. 21-51 as an average measure of continuous noise using the A-weighting network, monitored continuously over any two-hour period. The ordinance closes an obvious loophole: an adjacent lot owned, leased or commonly controlled by an affiliate of the venue does not count as property under separate ownership, so a bar cannot buffer itself with a lot it effectively controls.
m. m. Friday and Saturday, do not apply to the entertainment-zoned standard in subsection (a)(12) or to River Walk establishments, which instead follow the separate 72 dBA/80 dBC standard in Sec. 21-60. The director or a designated noise abatement officer can issue an administrative stop order under Sec. 21-57(a) to halt sound in excess of Table 1 levels, and may seek a court injunction within five days if the venue does not comply. Measurements are taken with an ANSI-compliant sound level meter per Sec. 21-56, generally at or near the property boundary rather than inside the complaining property.
Violations & Fines
A first violation is a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 21-58, fined $100 to $500, with no culpable mental state required. If the violation is intentional, knowing or reckless, the fine range rises to $100 to $2,000, and a second conviction under the article carries a minimum $200 fine, a third and each later conviction a minimum $300. Each day of continuing violation is a separate offense. After noise exceeding the article's limits is measured at the same address on three separate days within 12 months, the director can seek an administrative-hearing declaration that the location is a habitual noise nuisance source, after which the sound-producing equipment may be seized at the time of any subsequent violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What decibel limit applies to a San Antonio bar or nightclub?
Can a bar avoid the limit by using a lot it owns next door as a buffer?
Do quieter nighttime corrections apply to entertainment-zoned noise?
What happens if a venue is repeatedly cited for noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Antonio to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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