Amplified music rules in Hamilton County, TN — also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances — set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Chattanooga caps amplified sound equipment at 55 dB(A) between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. and 50 dB(A) between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m., measured at the nearest residential property line, unless a permit from the chief building official is obtained.
City Code Sec. 25-69(a)(1) makes it unlawful to operate sound amplification equipment producing sound registering 55 dB(A) between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. or 50 dB(A) between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., measured anywhere within the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property, hospital, school in session or nursing home, absent a permit. The same limits apply between units in multifamily buildings. Advertising amplification is capped at 60 dB(A) at the nearest right-of-way or park (Sec. 25-69(a)(4)). Higher limits apply inside the Downtown Amplified Music District with an AMD permit. Permits cannot allow sound above 70 dB(A) at a residential boundary (Sec. 25-71).
$50 citation fine and civil penalty up to $500 per violation; a cited venue that fails to reduce sound may be closed until its next opening (Sec. 25-73).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
hamilton-county-tn
Chattanooga encourages backyard composting and offers free mulch and compost to city residents. No ordinance bans a tidy home compost pile. The city collects...
hamilton-county-tn
No Hamilton County or Chattanooga ordinance specifically bans or requires a permit for residential artificial turf. In required landscape areas of developmen...
hamilton-county-tn
Neither Hamilton County nor Chattanooga requires homeowners to plant native species, and there is no ban on turf lawns. Native and pollinator plantings are e...
hamilton-county-tn
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Tennessee with no state permit or volume limit for non-potable uses like irrigation. Chattanooga actively encourages it, eve...
hamilton-county-tn
Tennessee has no statewide homeowner lawn-watering ban, and neither Hamilton County nor Chattanooga imposes fixed watering days. During drought, Tennessee Am...
hamilton-county-tn
Chattanooga treats weeds like tall grass: grass, underbrush, or weeds must be kept under 10 inches. Overgrown lots are tagged as public nuisances by Code Enf...
See how Hamilton County's amplified music & events rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.