Amplified music rules in Bethlehem, PA — also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances — set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Section 717.01(a)(1) prohibits operating any radio, stereo, boom box, tape or CD player or other sound reproduction device at a level audible more than forty (40) feet from the device. The plainly-audible standard applies citywide. Licensed events, religious bells, and emergency sound are exempt under Section 717.01(b).
Section 717.01(a)(1) sets one of the most specific rules in the Bethlehem Code: no person shall operate any radio, stereo, boom box, tape or CD player or other sound reproduction device at a level audible more than forty (40) feet from the device. The 40-foot plainly-audible test is content-neutral, aligning with Reed v. Town of Gilbert. Subsection (b) carves out exceptions: police/fire/ambulance vehicles (b)(1); municipal and utility vehicles (b)(2); religious bells and chimes (b)(3); City-licensed events (b)(4); emergencies (b)(6); and outdoor entertainment between noon and midnight in Industrial Redevelopment and IR-Residential districts (b)(7).
Section 717.99 penalties apply when a sound device is audible beyond 40 feet from source: $50-$100 first, $100-$300 second, $500 or 30 days for third and each subsequent. Police measure distance, not decibels, so no sound-level meter is needed.
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