Alachua County, FL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Alachua County, FL, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Plainly-audible threshold
- 50 feet from source property line
- Residential daytime limit
- 60 dBA (7 a.m.–9 p.m.)
- Residential nighttime limit
- 55 dBA (9 p.m.–7 a.m.)
- Enforcing agency
- Alachua County Sheriff's Office
- Criminal penalty
- Second-degree misdemeanor
Summary
Alachua County bans radios, stereos, sound amplifiers and musical instruments that are plainly audible 50 feet or more beyond the source property line, and separately caps ambient noise by zoning district and time of day: 60 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime for residential areas.
The use, operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, stereo set, tape player, sound amplifier, musical instrument or similar device which produces or reproduces sound in a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 15 meters (50 feet) or more away from the real property line of the source of the sound, to any person in a commercial, industrial, or residential area, or public space.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
Section 110.03(b) makes it a violation to use or play any radio, television, phonograph, stereo, tape player, sound amplifier, musical instrument or similar device that reproduces sound plainly audible 15 meters (50 feet) or more from the real property line of the source, in commercial, industrial or residential areas or public spaces, and separately bars such devices from being plainly audible 50 feet away on the public right-of-way. "Plainly audible" is defined in Sec. 110.01(o): detectable by ordinary unaided hearing with a direct line of sight and hearing to the source, and a rhythmic bass reverberation alone is enough to qualify. Beyond the audibility test, Sec. 110.04(a)'s Table I sets numeric A-weighted limits by zoning district and time: residential 60 dBA daytime/55 dBA nighttime, commercial 65/60, industrial and agricultural 75/75. Enforcement is primarily by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office using ANSI-standard sound level meters under the measurement procedure in Sec. 110.09 (Sec. 110.08).
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 110 is a second-degree misdemeanor under F.S. §§ 775.082 and 775.083, and may also be processed under F.S. Chapter 162's code enforcement procedures (Sec. 110.06). Where measurement is required, ACSO must first issue a warning and allow reasonable time to abate; where the specific plainly-audible prohibition of Sec. 110.03(b) applies, ACSO may warn, issue a notice of violation, or arrest without a prior measurement (Sec. 110.08).
Frequently Asked Questions
How far away can my music be heard before it violates the ordinance?
Can deputies act without measuring decibels?
What's the penalty for violating the noise ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alachua County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Alachua County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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