New Castle County, DE Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in New Castle County, DE, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Nighttime cutoff
- 9 p.m.-8 a.m., plainly audible across line
- Daytime limit
- Ambient noise +10 dBA at complaint point
- Enforcement
- New Castle County Police Department
- First-offense fine
- $250 to $1,000
- Waiver option
- Department of Land Use special waiver
Summary
New Castle County outlaws loudspeakers, musical instruments, and other amplified sound between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. if the music is plainly audible across a property line, and bans any noise exceeding ambient levels by 10 dBA at any hour.
Operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum, speaker or loudspeaker or other device for the production or reproduction of sound in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance. ... Operating any such device ... between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and the following 8:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be ... (b) Across real property boundaries as to create a noise disturbance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
County Code section 22.02.008 bars operating any musical instrument, speaker, or loudspeaker so it is plainly audible across a property line between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., and separately bans any noise that exceeds the ambient level by 10 dBA at the point of complaint regardless of time. The Department of Land Use can grant a special waiver for parades, permitted temporary events, or other planned gatherings. Police enforce the ordinance; a first conviction carries a $250-$1,000 fine, rising to $500-$2,500 for a second offense and $1,000-$5,000 for each offense after that, with each day a separate violation. Wilmington and Newark run their own noise codes outside this chapter.
Violations & Fines
First offense: $250 to $1,000. Second offense: $500 to $2,500. Third and later offenses: $1,000 to $5,000 each, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play amplified outdoor music after 9 p.m. in New Castle County?
Does this rule cover Wilmington or Newark?
Is there any way to get an outdoor concert or event approved?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Castle County
Compare New Castle County to another location·View the Delaware noise ordinances overview
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