Canton, OH Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

Adopted by Ordinance 160-91 in 1991, Section 509.05 targets vehicle stereo noise separately from the building- and property-based rules in Sections 509.03 and 509.04. Subsection (a) bars any person operating or occupying a motor vehicle from operating or permitting the operation of a sound amplification system, defined in (b) as a radio, tape player, compact disc player, loudspeaker, or other electronic device amplifying voice or music, so that the sound is plainly audible fifty feet or more away. Subsection (c) defines "plainly audible" as sound clearly heard at that distance by ordinary auditory senses along a direct line of sight, expressly stating that words need not be discernible and that bass reverberations are included, which reaches the low-frequency thump of a subwoofer even when lyrics cannot be made out.

The offense applies whether the vehicle is stopped, standing, parked, or moving on a street, highway, alley, parking lot, or driveway. Subsection (d) provides affirmative defenses for emergency or public-safety use, vehicles owned by a government agency or utility, permitted public addresses authorized by the City, and vehicles used in authorized parades, fireworks, or sporting events. Penalties escalate under subsection (e): a minor misdemeanor for a first offense, a fourth-degree misdemeanor for a second, and a third-degree misdemeanor for a third or later offense.