Dallas City Code Chapter 30 caps sound at 85 dB(A) with separate dB(C) measurement available for low-frequency bass complaints from clubs and amplified vehicles, allowing officers to cite penetrating thump that A-weighted meters underestimate.
Dallas Chapter 30 sets general noise limits at 85 dB(A) measured at the property line during day and 75 dB(A) overnight, but officers responding to throbbing-bass complaints from nightclubs in Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville, or amplified vehicles also take dB(C) readings. The C-weighting captures sub-100 Hz bass energy that A-weighting filters out, so a club producing 78 dB(A) outside may register 95 dB(C). When dB(C) exceeds dB(A) by more than 20, Dallas treats the differential as evidence of audible low-frequency disturbance. Enforcement falls to Dallas Police and the Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions for repeat properties under the Live Music Venue framework.
Each measurement above the limit is a Class C misdemeanor under Code 30-2, fine up to $500. Repeat dB(C) violations at the same address trigger Specific Use Permit review and possible revocation.
Dallas, TX
Dallas Chapter 30 does not set specific decibel limits for most noise sources. Instead, it uses a subjective standard of 'unreasonably loud, disturbing, and ...
Dallas, TX
Dallas regulates bar and nightclub noise through Chapter 30 and zoning code Section 51A-6.102. Entertainment venues in districts like Deep Ellum face particu...
See how Dallas's low-frequency bass limits rules stack up against other locations.
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