Racine County, WI Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Racine County, WI, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Standard
- Disturbs a neighbor, not decibels
- Exemption
- Reasonable everyday human activity
- No fixed hours
- No listed quiet-hours cutoff
- Scope
- Countywide general nuisance ordinance
Summary
Racine County's general noise ordinance bans any noisy activity that annoys or disturbs a neighbor, but sets no decibel limit or curfew hour; ordinary, reasonable noise is exempt.
No person shall engage in any noisy activity on public or private property that tends to annoy, disturb or otherwise irritate any neighboring tenant or person legally entitled to possession thereof, except for the reasonable noise which occurs in the normal course of reasonable human activity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 13-26 of the Racine County Code bars any noisy activity on public or private property that tends to annoy, disturb or irritate a neighboring tenant or person entitled to possession, with an exception for reasonable noise from normal human activity. There's no decibel meter, no listed quiet hours and no permit system for amplified sound in the general county code: a loud stereo, PA system or outdoor speaker is judged by whether it actually disturbs a neighbor, not by a measured sound level. This nuisance-style standard applies countywide alongside any stricter noise rules a city or village may adopt.
Violations & Fines
Violating Sec. 13-26 is a citable nuisance offense; deputies can issue a citation, and repeated disturbances can support further nuisance-abatement action under county authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for loud music in Racine County?
Does the county noise rule apply inside cities like Racine or Burlington?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
Compare Racine County to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.