Escambia County, FL Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

County Code § 42-65(e) governs radios, televisions, boomboxes, phonographs, stereos and musical instruments, and it's written broadly enough to cover the deep, carrying bass from vehicle sound systems and home speakers. The section sets two separate tests. First, in a commercial, industrial or public space, sound from these devices that is plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet from any person is a violation on its own; that's a fixed, measurable distance test that doesn't require proving the sound is a nuisance. Second, in residential or noise-sensitive areas, including multifamily and single-family dwellings, the standard is whether the sound is plainly audible to someone other than the listener and unreasonably disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of neighbors or passers-by.

Because bass frequencies carry through walls and vehicle bodies farther than higher frequencies, complaints under this section are common for parked cars with amplified subwoofers and outdoor speaker setups. On Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key, this unreasonableness-based section does not apply; those barrier islands instead use the objective dBA readings in § 42-67.