Ascension Parish, LA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Ascension Parish, LA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 75 db(A), 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Nighttime limit
- 70 db(A), 9 p.m.-6 a.m.
- Measured at
- residential property line
- Adopted
- Ord. of 6-7-2012
- Variance option
- parish council special variance, § 14-46
Summary
Ascension Parish bars any device, radio, musical instrument or sound-amplifying equipment from exceeding 75 db(A) at a residential property line between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., dropping to 70 db(A) overnight. The rule applies parish-wide in unincorporated areas and carries a misdemeanor-track penalty enforced by the sheriff's office.
(a)General restriction. It shall be unlawful for any person to use, operate or permit to be used or operated any device, radio, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, sound-amplifying equipment or device which produces or reproduces sound either stationary or mobile, in such a manner so as to create any sounds or noise which exceeds seventy-five (75) db(A) during the hours of 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. or which exceeds seventy (70) db(A) from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. at any property line within a residential district or upon any public street or right-of-way within or bordering upon any residential district within the unincorporated limits of the parish.
Full Breakdown
of 6-7-2012, is the general restriction behind the parish's noise ordinance. ), measured at any property line within a residential district or on a public street bordering one. Subsection (b) separately bars any "loud or raucous" sound at those same thresholds, and subsection (c) presumes the person creating the noise, or anyone who permits it from property under their control, is responsible for it. The rule reaches parties, backyard speakers, outdoor PA systems and similar amplified sound sources anywhere in unincorporated Ascension Parish; it does not apply inside Gonzales, Donaldsonville or Sorrento, which enforce their own city noise codes.
A property owner who wants to exceed these limits for a specific event, a festival or a late concert, can apply to the parish council for a special variance under Section 14-46, and the sheriff can issue a temporary permit while that application is pending.
Violations & Fines
Violating the residential noise standard is adjudicated as code enforcement under the parish's administrative adjudication process referenced at Sec. 14-47 rather than through general criminal court. Each day a violation continues is treated as a separate offense for enforcement purposes, and the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office is the agency that responds to and documents excessive-decibel complaints in the unincorporated parish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can amplified music be at my house in unincorporated Ascension Parish?
Can I get permission to exceed the noise limit for a party?
Who enforces the amplified-sound limit in unincorporated Ascension Parish?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ascension Parish
Compare Ascension Parish to another location·View the Louisiana noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.