Nashville, TN Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- § 9.10.010: bass reverberation is 'plainly audible'
- Vehicle stereo test
- Audible 50 feet from vehicle (§ 9.20.020(B))
- General penalty
- $50 per day, per violation (§ 1.01.030)
- Enforcement
- Metro Police and Codes & Building Safety
Summary
Metro Nashville's noise code defines "plainly audible" to expressly include bass reverberation, so a car stereo or party speaker violates the law once the bass alone can be heard off the property line: no melody or lyrics need to be discernible.
"Plainly audible" means any sound which clearly can be heard by unimpaired auditory senses; however, words or phrases need not be discernible and said sound shall include bass reverberation.
"Premises" means any building, structure, land, utility or portion thereof, including all appurtenances, and shall include yards, lots, courts, inner yards, common hallways in multiple-family dwellings, common areas for one or more multiple-family dwellings, and real properties without buildings or improvements, owned or controlled by a person.
"Property line" means an imaginary line exterior to any enclosed structure, at the ground surface, and its vertical extension, which separates the real property or rental unit owned or leased by one person from that owned or leased by another person.
"Public right-of-way" means any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, alley or public space which is owned or controlled by a governmental entity.
"Sound" means oscillation in pressure, stress, particle displacement and particle velocity which induce auditory sensation.
"Sound amplification equipment" means a radio, tape player, compact disc player, digital audio player, television, electronic audio equipment, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or other mechanical or electronic sound-making device that produces, reproduces or amplifies sound.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Metropolitan Code § 9.10.010 defines "plainly audible" as any sound clearly heard by unimpaired ears, and states directly that "said sound shall include bass reverberation", meaning low-end thump from a subwoofer counts even if words aren't discernible. That standard drives the enforcement tests elsewhere in Title 9: § 9.20.020(B) bans a vehicle sound system whose bass is plainly audible fifty feet from the vehicle, and § 9.20.010 bars amplified sound plainly audible from the nearest residential property line. Metro Police, Codes and Building Safety, and Metro Nashville DOT share enforcement under § 9.20.060.
Violations & Fines
No decibel meter is required: a plainly-audible bass complaint alone supports a citation. General code violations carry a $50 penalty under § 1.01.030, with each day treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nashville require a decibel reading to cite bass noise?
How far away can car stereo bass be heard before it's illegal in Nashville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
Compare Nashville to another location·View the Tennessee noise from specific sources overview
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