Lake Havasu City, AZ Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

Ordinary noise enforcement in Lake Havasu City measures sound from outside on the affected property, but § 9.30.060(A) creates a special rule for bass-heavy amplified music. If a complainant specifically states that the rhythmic bass component of the music is disturbing them inside their home, the noise enforcement officer may go inside that residence and take the reading there rather than from the yard or curb. The meter must be switched from the ordinary A-weighted scale to the C-weighted scale, set to fast response instead of slow response, because C-weighting registers low-frequency bass energy that A-weighting filters out.

The section carries its own residential limit for this measurement method: 45 dB(C) between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and 55 dB(C) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Readings may not be taken in a hallway, closet or bathroom, since the section requires the reading from a normally occupied room, or a comparable room on the same floor that is relatively free of the sound source, to fairly capture the neighborhood's residual sound level. Section 9.30.060(A) is enforced by the Police Department under § 9.30.080, and a violation is punished under the same § 9.30.090 fine schedule as any other noise offense: up to $100 for a first offense against an individual, rising to $500 for a third or later offense, or up to $1,000 for a repeat business violator.