Youngstown, OH Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

Youngstown Codified Ordinances § 539.07(b)(1) prohibits operating or permitting the operation of a sound amplification system from within a motor vehicle, whether parked, stopped, standing, or moving, on any public road or private property, at a volume that disturbs the quiet, comfort, or repose of other persons or that is plainly audible from outside the vehicle. Section 539.07(b)(3) defines 'plainly audible' specifically to include bass: sound that can clearly be heard outside the vehicle at fifty feet or more, measured by the auditory senses on a direct line of sight, and the definition expressly states that words or phrases need not be discernible and that bass reverberations are included.

That language directly reaches low-frequency subwoofer noise that carries beyond fifty feet even when no lyrics or melody can be made out. Section 539.07(b)(2) defines 'sound amplification system' broadly as any radio, tape player, compact disc player, loudspeaker, speaker, or other electronic device used to amplify musical instruments or other sounds. Under § 539.07(b)(5), a first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, with a mandatory minimum fine of $50; the mandatory minimum rises to $500 on a second offense and $600 on a third or later offense.

The sound system used is subject to seizure and forfeiture on every offense per § 539.07(b)(7), and under § 539.07(b)(6) a third or later violation makes the vehicle itself contraband subject to seizure and forfeiture under Ohio R.C. Chapter 2981. Warning devices, emergency signals, and City-authorized sound systems are exempt under § 539.07(b)(4). This subsection was added by Ordinance 09-233, passed October 7, 2009.