Maricopa County, AZ Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Audible inside closed home, 500 ft
- 1st offense fine
- Up to $300, misdemeanor
- 3rd+ offense fine
- Up to $750 per day
- Scope
- Unincorporated Maricopa County only
- Enforced by
- Sheriff's Office, Justice Courts
Summary
In unincorporated Maricopa County, amplified music and bass-heavy stereo or speaker noise is illegal once it can be heard inside a closed residential structure within 500 feet of the source: no decibel meter required.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any radio, loudspeaker, musical instrument, or other sound producing, sound reproducing, or sound amplification equipment which emits noise that can be heard from within closed residential structures located within 500 feet of the boundary of the property from which such noise emanates.
Full Breakdown
County Ordinance P-23 makes it unlawful to operate a radio, loudspeaker, musical instrument, or other sound-amplification equipment, including bass-heavy car audio and home theater systems, if the noise carries into a closed residential structure within 500 feet of where it originates. The standard is audibility through closed walls at that distance, not a decibel or frequency-weighted meter reading. The Sheriff's Office enforces it as the county administrator, with cases prosecuted in Maricopa County Justice Courts. It applies only in unincorporated areas; incorporated cities enforce their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Misdemeanor: fines up to $300 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $750 for a third and each offense after that. Each day the noise continues counts as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Maricopa County set a decibel limit for bass or stereo noise?
Does this rule apply inside Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Mesa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa County
Compare Maricopa County to another location·View the Arizona noise from specific sources overview
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