Amplified music rules in Carmel, IN — also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances — set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Carmel City Code Sec. 6-158(a) covers any device that produces or reproduces sound, which includes amplified music. Sound audible 50 feet from its source, over 70 dBA at 50 feet, or above the zoning chart triggers a violation. 'Stationary noise source' expressly includes sound-amplifying equipment.
Carmel does not have a stand-alone amplified-music ordinance; amplified sound is regulated through the general noise rule. Sec. 6-158(a) applies to anyone who plays, uses, or operates 'any machine, motor vehicle, device, or thing that produces or reproduces sound,' which captures speakers, PA systems, stereos, and amplified instruments. The definitions in Sec. 6-158(g) reinforce this by defining a 'stationary noise source' to include 'any sound amplifying equipment.' A violation occurs when the sound is audible 50 feet or more from its source, exceeds the zoning-district chart for five minutes or more within any 30-minute period (measured at 50 feet on a dB(A) scale), or exceeds 70 decibels for any period of time at 50 feet. The chart's limits depend on zone and time: residential zones drop to 50 dBA after 10:00 p.m., and business/mixed zones drop to 50 dBA after 11:00 p.m. Sec. 6-158(b)(4) exempts parades, festivals, concerts, band and drum-corps performances, and similar events (and rehearsals) authorized by the Board of Public Works and Safety, so permitted public events are treated differently from a backyard sound system.
Amplified-sound violations are infractions under Sec. 6-158(d), with fines escalating from up to $250 (first offense) to up to $2,500 (fourth and subsequent). Citations are issued by sworn Carmel Metropolitan Police officers (Sec. 6-158(f)) and heard in the Carmel City Court (Sec. 6-158(e)). Report loud amplified music to Carmel non-emergency police dispatch at 317-571-2580.
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