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.
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