Allegheny County, PA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Allegheny County, PA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Rule
- Using electrical amplifying equipment is prohibited in County parks
- Citation
- Allegheny County Code § 650-1(J)(1), Noise
- Decibel or time limit
- None printed in the chapter
- Exception authority
- Parks Director written authorization, posted signs, or County police officer direction
- Park hours
- Sunrise to midnight at North and South Parks; 8:00 a.m. to sundown elsewhere
- Permit consequence
- Conviction is cause to revoke current Parks Department permits
Summary
Allegheny County bans using electrical amplifying equipment anywhere inside a County park. The rule sits in Code § 650-1(J)(1) under the heading Noise. The only recognized exceptions are a written authorization signed by the Parks Department Director, a sign posted by the Director's representatives, or an immediate direction from a County police officer. It covers park land only.
The below-listed activities are specifically prohibited in any area lying within a County park. Exceptions to these prohibitions will be recognized only upon possession and presentation of a written authorization signed by the Director of the Parks Department, by signs posted by authorized representatives of the Director, or by immediate direction of a County police officer. ... J. Noise. (1) Using electrical amplifying equipment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4857026; v12 updated 2024-06-04; through 06-04-2024).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 650, Park Rules and Regulations, was adopted by County Council on 3-21-2006 as Ord. No. 06-06. Section 650-1 lists activities that are "specifically prohibited in any area lying within a County park," and Subsection J, headed Noise, holds a single item: using electrical amplifying equipment.
The code prints no decibel reading, no measuring distance and no quiet hours for this item. The prohibition is written as a flat ban on the use of the equipment, so the wording turns on whether amplifying equipment is being used inside park boundaries, not on how loud it is. The chapter does not define "electrical amplifying equipment" and does not list speakers, microphones or bands by name.
Three routes create an exception, and the code recognizes exceptions only through them: possession and presentation of a written authorization signed by the Director of the Parks Department, signs posted by authorized representatives of the Director, or the immediate direction of a County police officer. Verbal permission from anyone else is not on that list.
Related permit language in § 650-2 covers events. Subsection F says meetings, assemblies, parades and related public gatherings are permitted upon presentation of a written authorization signed by the Director. Subsection G says permits are required to reserve buildings, shelters, groves, athletic fields and other facilities. The chapter prints no amplification-specific permit, application form or fee, so the Director's written authorization is the document the text points to.
Park hours in § 650-2(I) run from sunrise to midnight at North and South Parks and from 8:00 a.m. to sundown at all other parks. Those hours govern presence in the park and are not a separate noise curfew.
This is a park rule, adopted for land the County owns and manages. It is not a countywide noise standard, and it does not reach private property or municipal streets.
Violations & Fines
Section 650-3 sets the penalties for chapter 650. Subsection A(1) covers Subsection A(1) or (2) of § 650-1 with a $50 parking ticket. Subsection A(2) covers Subsection A(3), (4) or (5) of § 650-1 with a citation, a summary offense, and a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $300 plus costs. Neither penalty subsection names Subsection J. Subsection B makes a conviction under the section cause to revoke any current permit issued by the Parks Director, and lets the Director weigh it against future applications. Subsection C treats each violation as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for amplified sound in Allegheny County parks?
Who can authorize amplified sound in a County park?
Does reserving a grove or shelter allow amplifying equipment?
What happens if someone breaks the rule and holds a park permit?
Does this rule apply outside County parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allegheny County
Compare Allegheny County to another location·View the Pennsylvania noise ordinances overview
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