Springfield, OR Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)

Springfield does not have a chapter written specifically for bars or nightclubs; instead, any commercial sound system, including a bar's speakers, jukebox, or live PA, is governed by the general noise ordinance in Municipal Code Section 5.220, Article VII, Public Peace. The section defines plainly audible broadly, covering musical rhythms and engine noises that a listener can clearly hear with unaided hearing, even if individual words are not distinguishable, which sweeps in the bass and vocals typical of nightclub sound systems. Subsection (3)(f) makes it a per se violation, one the code says need not be the exclusive way to prove a nuisance, to operate a piano, phonograph, radio, loudspeaker, stereo, or other sound-amplifying device so its sound is plainly audible inside any other dwelling, church, business, day care center, or school, or 150 feet or more onto public property or right-of-way without written government authorization.

That distance test lets police measure a bar's noise bleed into a neighboring apartment or storefront rather than requiring a decibel meter. A bar operator can apply for a special noise permit under subsection (6), submitted to the city manager or designee at least 30 days before an event, though subsection (4)(b) notes such permits are not intended to be issued for private events. The city manager may revoke a permit at any time, and a denied or revoked applicant can appeal to the city council, which must set a hearing within 15 days under subsection (8).

Any violation of the per se list in subsection (3), including the amplified-sound clause, is punishable by a fine of up to $720 under SMC Section 1.205, the same general penalty applied across Chapter 5.