Blue Springs, MO Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

In the City of Blue Springs, Missouri, Section 230.030(A)(1) of the Noise Control Ordinance lists 'radio, car radio, subwoofer, television, cd player, DVD, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or similar device' as equipment that may not be operated so as to create a noise disturbance, the Chapter's term for sound that endangers health or safety or annoys a reasonable person, as defined in Section 230.020. The rule reaches low-frequency bass from car audio systems in three distinct ways: it is unlawful if the sound crosses a real property boundary (unless the activity is open to the public under a City permit or license), unlawful if a device in or on a vehicle, motorcycle, or boat on public waters creates a disturbance at twenty feet or more away, and unlawful if a passenger's device disturbs anyone else on a common carrier.

Because a car radio or subwoofer is one of the devices the Section names outright, an officer measuring a disturbance at twenty feet from a parked or passing vehicle can cite the driver directly under this Subsection. Enforcement follows Section 230.050, which routes every Chapter 230 violation into the general penalty of Section 100.080: a fine up to $500, up to ninety days in jail, or both, and the City may separately seek a Circuit Court injunction under Section 230.060 against a repeat source of disturbance.