Collierville, TN Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle, right-of-way, park
- Plainly audible at 7.5 meters (25 feet) is unlawful
- Residential area
- Plainly audible to any person off the premises, unless permitted
- Instruments in public places
- Plainly audible at 15 meters (50 feet), unless permitted
- Town parks
- § 90.08: audible to anyone but the operator needs a Parks permit
- Bass-specific limit
- None printed; the standard is plain audibility
- Penalty
- Fine not to exceed $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both
Summary
The Town of Collierville has no bass or frequency-specific limit. Section 130.022(E)(2)(e) uses a plainly audible standard instead: 25 feet for sound from a motor vehicle, public right-of-way or park, and any distance off the premises in a residential area unless a permit has been issued.
(e) Radios, televisions, musical instruments and similar devices. 1. It shall be unlawful to operate or play any radio, television, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifying equipment or similar device on a public right-of-way in a public park or from a motor vehicle which produces or reproduces sound in a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 7.5 meters (25 feet). 2. It shall be unlawful to operate or play, or allow to be operated or played, any radio, television, phonograph, musical instrument, loudspeaker or similar device in a residential area that is plainly audible to any person off the premises of the operating party unless a permit has been issued. 3. It shall be unlawful to operate or play any musical instrument on a public right-of- way, in a public park, playground or recreation area which produces sound in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 15 meters (50 feet), unless a permit has been issued.
Full Breakdown
Bass from car stereos, home theaters and speakers is handled in the Town of Collierville through division (e) of the anti-noise chapter, § 130.022 of the Collierville Code of Ordinances, titled Radios, televisions, musical instruments and similar devices. The code sets no low-frequency or decibel threshold for these devices. It uses plainly audible tests, which catch bass because bass carries.
Three separate rules apply. First, it is unlawful to operate or play any radio, television, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifying equipment or similar device on a public right-of-way, in a public park or from a motor vehicle in a way that is plainly audible at a distance of 7.5 meters (25 feet). Second, it is unlawful to operate or play, or allow to be operated or played, any radio, television, phonograph, musical instrument, loudspeaker or similar device in a residential area that is plainly audible to any person off the premises of the operating party, unless a permit has been issued. The residential rule is the strictest of the three because it has no distance cutoff and reaches the person who allows the device to be played. Third, it is unlawful to play any musical instrument on a public right-of-way, in a public park, playground or recreation area so that it is plainly audible at 15 meters (50 feet), unless a permit has been issued.
Inside Town parks, § 90.08 adds its own rule: except for activities for which the Collierville Parks and Recreation Department has issued a permit, no person may operate, play or permit the operation of a radio, television, phonograph, amplifier, loud speaker or similar device so as to create a noise plainly audible to any person other than the operator in or on the grounds of any Town park or its building facilities.
Amplified public addresses that are noncommercial, or promote events sponsored by non-profit organizations, are exempt only with a permit from the Town Clerk, which designates the permitted hours.
Violations & Fines
Under § 130.022, violations are prosecuted like other misdemeanors of the Town Code, started by a traffic citation or, on a private citizen's complaint, by a summons after verification by a police officer using a sound meter. A violation is punishable by a fine not to exceed $50, or confinement in jail not to exceed 30 days, or both, in the discretion of the court. Park violations under § 90.08 fall under § 90.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Collierville have a bass or subwoofer rule?
How far can car stereo sound travel before it is illegal?
Can I play music at home in a Collierville neighborhood?
What are the rules in Town parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collierville
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