Port St. Lucie, FL Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

Port St. Lucie's noise chapter builds a separate, meter-free path to a citation alongside the decibel limits in Table I. 02 defines "Plainly Audible" as any sound a person can detect with unaided hearing, and it specifically addresses bass-heavy music: if the source under investigation is a portable or personal vehicular sound system, detecting the rhythmic bass component of the music is enough to establish that the sound is plainly audible, even if the code enforcement officer cannot make out the song's title, lyrics, or artist.

The officer must have a direct line of sight and hearing to the source so the location and distance can be verified. 04(i) then sets the operative rule: noise plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet or more from its source, including amplified sound and portable, hand-held music or sound-reproduction equipment, is a violation of the chapter, whether that noise occurs on private property, public property, or the public right-of-way. This standard exists independently of the numeric limits in Table I, so a code enforcement officer does not need a sound level meter reading to write a citation over a bass-heavy stereo; the officer's own ability to identify the offending rhythmic bass from 100 feet away is legally sufficient. 08 assigns enforcement to trained code enforcement officers under Chapter 37's penalty structure.